Durango53
04-20-2005, 05:05 PM
For his 22nd birthday on Tuesday, it looked like catcher Joe Mauer's wish came true. His playing time behind the plate is about to increase.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire planned to catch Mauer for a third straight game Wednesday vs. the Royals. That would the first time that he's done that this season.
"I'm feeling good," said Mauer, who hit his first homer of the season Monday. "I just let him know I feel I can do that now. So we'll see. He'll still ask me how I'm feeling and we'll still take it day by day but I think can go more than two (games)."
Not wanting to push Mauer's rehabilitated left knee too hard, the Twins have taken a cautious and incremental approach with his playing time since the start of Spring Training.
The club carried an extra catcher, Corky Miller, when breaking camp and limited Mauer's time behind the plate to three or four days a week. But he hasn't had any setbacks since early March and the knee has passed other tests. The most recent was catching a day game after a night game last weekend at Cleveland. He reported normal body soreness, but nothing more.
Gardenhire expected to have Mauer catch two of three games this weekend at Detroit, and foresees going beyond three straight games soon.
"I'm at the point now where if we have four night games in a row, I'm going to catch him four nights in a row," Gardenhire said. "He's made that statement he would like to do more. He thinks he's ready for it. He feels great."
Great move. He is a force behind the plate with that great arm and the pitchers love throwing to him. :thumbsup: Everything looks good and so as I have been calling for the past two weeks dump a catcher.
Twins manager Ron Gardenhire planned to catch Mauer for a third straight game Wednesday vs. the Royals. That would the first time that he's done that this season.
"I'm feeling good," said Mauer, who hit his first homer of the season Monday. "I just let him know I feel I can do that now. So we'll see. He'll still ask me how I'm feeling and we'll still take it day by day but I think can go more than two (games)."
Not wanting to push Mauer's rehabilitated left knee too hard, the Twins have taken a cautious and incremental approach with his playing time since the start of Spring Training.
The club carried an extra catcher, Corky Miller, when breaking camp and limited Mauer's time behind the plate to three or four days a week. But he hasn't had any setbacks since early March and the knee has passed other tests. The most recent was catching a day game after a night game last weekend at Cleveland. He reported normal body soreness, but nothing more.
Gardenhire expected to have Mauer catch two of three games this weekend at Detroit, and foresees going beyond three straight games soon.
"I'm at the point now where if we have four night games in a row, I'm going to catch him four nights in a row," Gardenhire said. "He's made that statement he would like to do more. He thinks he's ready for it. He feels great."
Great move. He is a force behind the plate with that great arm and the pitchers love throwing to him. :thumbsup: Everything looks good and so as I have been calling for the past two weeks dump a catcher.