Joe Mauer missed his 5th straight game because of a sore neck yesterday, and the Twins finally decided to bring up some backstop insurance. Minnesota recalled catcher Rene Rivera from Triple-A, optioning infielder Matt Tolbert to make room for the roster move.
Mauer says that he’s feeling a lot better and is close to returning for the Twins, as he doesn’t expected his neck problems to force him to the disabled list.
The former MVP has been out since last Tuesday. During that contest against the Orioles, Mauer lunged for a popup and sustained what manager Ron Gardenhire is calling whiplash.
Even though he expects Mauer to be back in action Monday or Tuesday, Gardenhire wanted to add an extra catcher for peace of mind.
Rivera started behind the plate for the Twins yesterday, going 0-3 with an RBI in Minnesota’s 11-4 victory over the Tigers. Rivera’s now spent 28 games with the Twins this season, but has only managed a line of .173/.232/.253.
Gardenhire expects Tolbert to be headed right back to Minnesota in September when rosters expand.
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