One Eddie back, the other still on the mend.
Twins third baseman Eduardo Escobar was held out of the starting lineup Friday night against the Texas Rangers as he recovers from a bruised right elbow suffered when he was drilled by Boston pitcher Rick Porcello the previous day at Target Field.
Manager Paul Molitor said Escobar, who has an MLB-leading 32 doubles and tops Minnesota with 48 runs batted in, was feeling better than expected. But lingering swelling impeded his swing and throwing accuracy, so the club decided to sit him at least one full game.
After getting hit in the first inning against the Red Sox, Escobar stayed in the game but was removed after meekly striking out in the third inning.
“I’m fairly optimistic in roughly less than 24 hours he’ll be able to start the game (Saturday),” Molitor said.
Escobar did enter Friday night’s 8-1 loss as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, when he struck out swinging.
Meanwhile, left fielder Eddie Rosario returned after missing one game because of soreness in his throwing shoulder.
The Twins kept Rosario out of Thursday’s series finale against Boston as a precaution. Rosario, who leads the team with a .320 average, 16 home runs and .359 on-base percentage, battled soreness in that same right shoulder during spring training.
The team will design a throwing program to build up and maintain strength in his potent throwing arm.
“It’s just wear and tear,” Molitor said. “If it starts affecting your swing, that’s when we start having a big problem. He was anxious to get back in there, and I was more than happy to get him back in there.”
POLANCO FACES SANTANA
Shortstop Jorge Polanco batted against Ervin Santana on Friday in Fort Myers, Fla., providing a two-for-one progress report on a pair of pivotal players who have yet to play a game this season for the Twins.
Polanco is working toward returning from suspension but suffered a setback two weeks ago when he jammed his finger in a door. The finger then became infected.
However, Molitor said Polanco was able to swing “relatively pain free” against Santana, who is rehabbing from February surgery on the middle finger of his pitching hand. Polanco is scheduled to face the right-hander again Monday.
“We’ll try to get him out at least to start DHing in some games before he’s ready to play defensively, hopefully sooner than later,” Molitor said.
Polanco was unable to start playing with Triple-A Rochester last week because of his jammed finger. Eligible to be activated July 2 at Milwaukee after serving his 80-game steroids suspension, he must be added to the 25-man roster or the disabled list.
“We’ve got 10 days to see how it unfolds,” Molitor said. “We all know that there will be things we have to consider once that day arrives.”
As for Santana, he threw 35 pitches Friday, and the Twins want to see him increase his velocity Monday before deciding whether to start him for at least three innings in Single-A Fort Myers or a higher minor league level.
“He threw all his pitches,” Molitor said. “Talked to him earlier today. He said it was one of the better days he’s had in a while, so I was encouraged by that.”
BRIEFLY
Joe Mauer hosted patients and their families from Gillette Children’s Hospital for on-field athletic activities and a picnic in the third year of the Mauer and Friends Classic.
Among the athletes who participated were pitcher Kyle Gibson, former Twins third baseman Corey Koskie, Wild forward Zach Parise and San Jose Sharks defenseman Paul Martin.
The hospital’s specialty healthcare unit serves patients with rare and traumatic conditions, such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and spina bifida.
After raising $800,000 each of the past two years, Mauer said Friday’s event raised more than $1 million.
“It’s unreal,” Mauer said. “Obviously, a lot of people spending a lot of time, No. 1 my wife (Maddie), and the whole Gillette team and all of our sponsors. The Twins have been great. It’s been awesome.”