Twins rally to beat Kansas City
Knight Ridder Newspapers
MINNEAPOLIS -- Say it ain't so, Joe.
Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Mays, who won 17 games last season and signed a $20 million contract in January, has been diagnosed with an inflamed right elbow that will cause him to miss his next scheduled start and could put him on the disabled list for the first time in his pro career.
Tuesday night, Torii Hunter went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Minnesota's bullpen was unscored upon once again as the Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 .
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Mays, 26, was bothered occasionally during spring training, and the pain worsened during his starts last week at Cleveland, and Sunday against Detroit, team doctor Dan Buss said. After an examination Saturday, Mays pitched Sunday, then Monday underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test that revealed the inflammation where the muscle meets the tendons.
"It's what we anticipated from the exam," Buss said. "Hopefully, he'll miss one start and we'll get him back in the rotation after that. Right now, we're hoping to keep him off the disabled list."
Buss said Mays wouldn't be allowed to throw until the end of the week, after which he would begin preparing for a start sometime next week if he responds to therapy.
Mays, who was scheduled to pitch Friday in the opener of a three-game series against Cleveland, has struggled in all three starts this season, going 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA, seven walks and three strikeouts in 112⁄3; innings.
The Twins pitching staff received more bad news Tuesday. Reliever Jack Cressend has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing at Cleveland's Ricky Gutierrez in a game last Thursday.
Cressend said Tuesday he will appeal the suspension, announced baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson.
"I was a little surprised," Cressend said. "I certainly feel like it's worth it to appeal. I don't want to put the team in a position to be short-handed."
Twins game story, box score, Page 6D
