The Minnesota Twins have announced that catcher Joe Mauer is set to begin a throwing and swinging program Wednesday. The team says the All Star has recovered from much of the leg soreness that landed him on the DL.
While the club is not ready to set a return date, they are encouraged by Mauer’s progress and excited to have him soon resume baseball related activities.
Even after offseason knee surgery, Mauer was able to start the season with the Twins. The catcher was then forced to the DL April 14th due to the lingering effects of the procedure.
Before being placed on the DL, the former MVP was putting up very un-Mauer-like numbers. His current .235 average in 2011 is a good 90 points below his career number of .326. The Twins hope the time off will let their $184 million man get his legs back underneath him, allowing Mauer to return to his usual high caliber of play.
Sitting in the basement of the AL Central, the Twins can use all of the good news they can get. Mauer is joined on the DL by fellow position players Delmon Young and Tsuyoshi Nishioka as well as pitcher Kevin Slowey.
While it appears Mauer will be ready to rejoin the club by the end of the month, the knee injury must be disconcerting to the team. Though he plays stellar defense behind the plate, many suspect Mauer will have to change positions in order to remain a healthy contributor to the club.