Times wires
Thursday, April 28, 2011
MINNEAPOLIS — On the disabled list with another leg problem, Twins All-Star C Joe Mauer said he has no plans to make a position change anytime soon.
Mauer has been out since April 15 with bilateral leg weakness, a condition team doctors say was brought on by a light workload in spring training while he worked his way back from arthroscopic left knee surgery. That has renewed the debate about whether the three-time AL batting champion should change positions to keep his bat in the lineup.
Mauer said Thursday that he is determined to stay right where he is.
"I just think I can help the team a lot better when I'm behind the plate," said Mauer, who is in the first season of an eight-year, $184 million contract. "That's what I signed here to do is to catch. I think we're a better ballclub when I'm behind the plate."
Mauer had surgery in December and played in only eight spring games with the hopes that it would keep his legs fresh for the grind of catching in the regular season.
Twins head athletic trainer Rick McWane said the soreness Mauer is experiencing is because his body just wasn't strong enough at the start of the season.
COACH INVESTIGATED: Baseball said it would await information from the Braves before considering disciplinary action against pitching coach Roger McDowell, whom a fan accused of making ugly comments and gestures and threatening him with a bat. McDowell apologized for the incident, which took place April 23 in San Francisco.
TWITTER TROUBLE: Major League Baseball said it's looking into any rules White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen might have violated by using Twitter to make derogatory comments about an umpire after being ejected during Wednesday's game.
BLUE JAYS: OF Travis Snider was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in anticipation of CF Rajai Davis coming off the disabled list today. The move means Corey Patterson and Juan Rivera will share time in leftfield.
GIANTS: INF Mark DeRosa went on the 15-day disabled list with left wrist inflammation. INF Emmanuel Burriss was activated.
INDIANS: RHP Carlos Carrasco went on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. RHP Alex White, a 2009 first-round pick, was recalled from Triple-A Columbus and is set to start Saturday.
NATIONALS: SS Ian Desmond was reinstated from the paternity leave list, and OF Roger Bernadina was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Desmond missed two games after his wife, Chelsey, gave birth Tuesday to their first son, Grayson Wesley Desmond.
PADRES: LH reliever Joe Thatcher will need arthroscopic surgery on his strained left shoulder and hopes to return late this season.
PHILLIES: RHP Joe Blanton went on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow impingement. RHP Vance Worley will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start tonight.
RANGERS: Minor-league OF Engel Beltre was suspended 15 games by the Texas League after apparently heaving a plastic trash can into the stands at fans who were tossing water bottles at players Wednesday.
YANKEES: RHP Phil Hughes, who had a setback in a recent throwing session as he tries to recover from arm fatigue, was sent to a specialist in St. Louis after examinations showed that he may have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a nerve and circulatory condition.