Minnesota Twins Injury Update

Justin Morneau - worked out this morning, will only DH for the rest of the season to avoid diving.

Denard Span - Hoping to be back soon and was sprinting this morning.

Glen Perkins - Played catch this morning but isn't available to pitch yet.

Francisco Liriano - Played catch today but will likely be shut down for the rest of the year.

Denard Span Not at 100% Yet

Twins' Outfielder Denard Span only has one hit in his 24 at bats since returning from the disabled list so the Twins gave him the day off on Tuesday to get his head straight. Ben Revere started in his place and played really well for the team. Here were manager Ron Gardenhire's thoughts on Span's day off.

"[Span's] still coming back from that [concussion]," Gardenhire said. "It's not perfect. He still has his moments. I talk to him daily, and today was a good day. Seeing the ball -- he talked about not really seeing the spin real good yet ... We'll back him off and see where we go from there."

I would like to see Span get in a little bit of a groove before the season ends. It's pretty important that he plays well because Ben Revere has played well enough to challenge for playing time and the Twins have plenty of depth in the outfield.

Denard Span Abandons DL

The Minnesota Twins have activated Denard Span from the 15-day disabled list following their most recent loss against the Oakland Athletics.

Span has been the subject of several trade deadline rumors, but will join the Twins when they travel to Anaheim to open the Twins-Angels series on Tuesday. Monday is an off day/travel day for the Twins.

Span has been on the disabled list since June 9, when he was placed on the list because of a concussion. He has appeared in 56 games with the Twins, batting .294 with nine doubles, three triples, two home runs and 15 RBIs.

Luke Hughes has been sent down to Triple-A Rochester to make room for Span on the Twins 25-man roster.

It will be interesting to see how Gardenhire handles the playing time between Ben Revere and Denard Span!

Gardy Loves Revere

Ben Revere has played so well during his stint in the majors that he has earned the respect of the Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire. Revere covers a lot of ground in the outfield, makes a lot of contact, and runs the bases extremely well. His growth makes other players on the Twins expendable (I'm looking at you, Michael Cuddyer). Revere replaced Span in the lineup since he has been out with a concussion. Revere has a lot of the same qualities as Span. Span claims he has a stronger arm, but knows that he can't beat Revere in one category.

"He’s quicker than I am,’’ Span said. "His first step, he gets to full speed. As for me, the third or fourth step is when I get going. I think that’s the biggest difference between the two of us.’’

Revere is a career .327 hitter in the minors, so his performance in the majors is no fluke. Look for the Twins to move either him or Span at some point considering they bring a lot of the same things to the table.

Denard Span in Vertigo

Denard Span has missed some playing time from the feeling of vertigo combined with neck pain and a headache after a collision at home with Kansas City Royals catcher Brayan Pena. Span collided at home with Pena after attempting to stretch a trip in to an inside-the-park home fun in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium.

Every bat since that collision Span has described as a "blur". In 2009, Span experienced similar symptoms from an inner ear infection, without the neck and head pain.

I really hope we don't have another Percy Harvin on our hands.

Even though Span was check in Kansas by a medical team and was determined to not have a concussion, he will be checked again back in Minnesota. The MLB recently instituted a seven-day disabled list for players suffering from concussions, but Span cannot be placed on that list unless he is diagnosed as having a concussion.

TwinsFest 2011 A Success

As you may know, TwinsFest 2011 was moved to the National Sports Complex in Blaine because of the Metrodome collapse. The festival sold out very quickly and for good reason. The Minnesota Twins continue to be one of the most popular teams in the Midwest and definitely for Minnesotans. It is a team that the people here are proud about. Many of the players were at TwinsFest including Joe Mauer, Denard Span, Danny Valencia, Kevin Slowey, Brian Duensing, Ben Revere, and Anthony Slama. If you have any good TwinsFest 2011 stories, post them here!

The Minnesota Twins Lose 2 of 3 to Oakland A's

The Minnesota Twins hosted the Oakland Athletics over the weekend at Target Field. The Oakland A's won on Friday and Sunday, while the Twins were victorious on Saturday. A 3-1 loss on Friday night was avenged with a 4-2 victory on Saturday. Rookie third baseman Danny Valencia homered both days including a huge 3 run homer on Saturday in the 6th inning. The Minnesota Twins lost the rubber match on Sunday, where Francisco Liriano was roughed up in 5 innings. Denard Span and Jason Kubel did not play in the series and hopefully will return soon. Rookie Ben Revere got his first starts in center field and was 2-4 on Sunday for his first two hits of his career. Next up is the Cleveland Indians at home.

Minnesota Twins Take Down Chicago White Sox 9-3

The Minnesota Twins defeated the Chicago White Sox 9-3 in the opening game of a 3 game set in Chicago. The win puts Minnesota 7 games up on Chicago with 18 games left. Clearly nothing is over until it's over, but barring a major collapse, Minnesota should expect an AL Central crown. Francisco Liriano went 6 innings to earn his 14th victory of the season. Delmon Young hit his 17th home run of the season on his 25th birthday, JJ Hardy was 2-4, and Denard Span had a bases clearing Alex Rios error (bobble in center field) to end with 4 RBI's.

Jesse Crain also got out of a big jam and struck out MVP candidate Paul Konerko and slugger Manny Ramirez with the bases loaded in the 7th inning. Crain has been unbelievable since June. The Minnesota Twins now stand 86-58 and only trail the New York Yankees (88 wins) and Tampa Bay Rays (87 wins) in wins in the MLB. Keep an eye with those two teams as it will most likely determine who the Twins could face in the first round of the playoffs, as well as home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles Recap, Carl Pavano, & Delmon Young

The Minnesota Twins took 3 of 4 against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards over the weekend. In a hot and humid environment, the Minnesota Twins were able to nearly sweep the Orioles if not for a 3-2 loss on Friday night. They now sit 1 game back from the Chicago White Sox and visit Kansas City for a 3 game series. Here are some notes from the series:

-Delmon Young went 8/17 with 7 rbi. His stat line is now .322, 13 home runs, and 74 rbi. Talk about a turn around.

-Carl Pavano pitched a complete game 5-0 shutout on Thursday. He's 12-6 with 5 complete games. Talk about a steal over the offseason, Bill Smith looks pretty good on that one.

-Jason Kubel hit another grand slam and Denard Span made another incredible catch

-Orlando Hudson went to the DL because of an oblique strain, Jose Morales was recalled from AAA, and Justin Morneau is still out

Denard Span hits 3 Triples, Minnesota Twins beat Detroit Tigers 11--4

A triple is an exciting play in baseball. It's pretty much a guarantee that the player has to be running hard and a ball will be thrown to attempt to get the runner out. This usually has fans standing on the edge of their seats. Some games may even have a team hit 2 triples if they're lucky. Denard Span of the Minnesota Twins hit 3 - yes 3 - triples yesterday in a 11-4 triumph over the Detroit Tigers, tying a Major League Baseball record. He becomes the first player to accomplish the feat since Rafael Furcal of the Atlanta Braves did it in 2002. Overall, 49 players have accomplished the notable feat, as ballparks used to be bigger in the dead ball era. The win moved the Minnesota Twins back into 1st place in the AL Central Division. Span was 4-4 on the day with 5 RBI's, truly a night for Span to remember. Nick Blackburn recorded the win for the Minnesota Twins, a win he desperately needed.