Pat Neshek News

Gardenhire: What next, the flu bug? FORT MYERS, FLA. - Twins manager Ron Gardenhire tried making light of the team's injury situation Tuesday.

Eddie Guardado was warming up in the right-field bullpen inside Oakland's Coliseum.

Today, I'm rolling through several of the big stories in fantasyland. We'll be revisiting the positional battles throughout the spring and watching the players competing for final spots in rotations league-wise and, well, those horrid injuries that pop up from time to time.

Shall we begin by being totally and completely honest? It is not possible to replace someone like Joe Nathan at the back-end of a bullpen, unless the last guy permitted to wear the number 42 is holding a baseball.

Heavy rains forced Friday's scheduled Spring Training contest between the Twins and Mets to be canceled.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Nathan takes time between pitches in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox in a spring training baseball game in Fort Myers, Fla., Saturday, March 6, 2010.

The bad news for the Minnesota Twins is that all signs point to stud closer Joe Nathan missing the 2010 season due to a torn ligament in his right throwing elbow.

Recent Twins pitchers who underwent Tommy John surgery: Joe Mays Before surgery: Looked like a future staff ace when he went 17-13 with a 3.16 ERA in 2001 at the age of 25.

Joe Nathan has a torn ulnar collateral ligament. At best, it's partially torn, and he'll be able to avoid surgery and pitch through the pain this season, albeit with a seriously diminished skill-set due to the injury.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said before Monday's contest against the Orioles that he doesn't expect to have an update on closer Joe Nathan's sore right elbow until Tuesday.

The Twins tendered Crain, now we have an option if Nathan isn't ready on opening day.

All winter long, the Twins talked about how great it would be to have a healthy Kevin Slowey and Pat Neshek back on the mound.

The Twins opened their spring training schedule Thursday night with a 2-1 loss to the Red Sox at Boston's City of Palms Park.

A line drive off Jason Kubela s bat struck lefthander Jose Mijares on the left forearm.

Jose Mijares gets hit with a line drive. Pat Neshek looks strong. Other stuff from Fort Myers.

The Twins have been relatively injury-free since official spring workouts began on Monday, but the club got a scare on Sunday afternoon when left-hander Jose Mijares was hit by a line drive in his left forearm while throwing live batting practice.

Today was just Day One of spring training for the Minnesota Twins, but if you were looking for reasons to be optimistic about the club favored to repeat as Central Division champions, there were two: Pat Neshek and Francisco Liriano.

After a dazzling winter season in the Dominican Republic, Minnesota Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano feels he could be nearing his form of 2006, when he finished 12-3 with 144 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA.

In this photo taken on Monday, Feb. 22, 2010, Minnesota Twins pitcher Pat Neshek throws during the first pitchers and catchers workout at spring training baseball, in Fort Myers, Fla., as Carl Pavano, left, looks on.

For most of the Minnesota Twins, Monday morning marked their first official team workout since the end of last season.