Target Field will get a little sexier on Tuesday.
Manager Paul Molitor announced on Saturday that right-hander Bartolo Colon, nicknamed Big Sexy, will start on Tuesday against the Yankees.
Grab your popcorn.
It comes as the Twins have exhausted their pitching inventory in recent weeks as injuries and ineffectiveness has toppled a staff with little depth to start with. The Twins have tried Adam Wilk, Chris Heston, Nick Turley and Nick Tepesch, hoping to get lucky with one of them. All of them have failed.
So they will hand the ball to the 44-year old Colon, who broke into the league in 1997. He was designated for assignment by the Braves after going 2-8 with an 8.14 ERA in 13 starts for the Braves. Atlanta remains on the hook for the $12.5 million deal they signed with Colon during the offseason, with the Twins paying him the league minimum.
He made one start for Class AAA Rochester, giving up four runs over 32/3 innings on Thursday against Lehigh Valley. Despite accounts that he wasn't sharp, the Twins are bringing him up. They had little choice, as Jorge pitched poorly in two of three starts after being called up from Class AA Chattanooga, and Dillon Gee not looking sharp.
"Some of it had to do with some of the conversations that were made in bringing him over here and the potential timing of getting him into the rotation," Molitor said.
Once Colon steps on the mound, the Twins will be the 10th major league team he's pitched for. And the Twins will use their 28th pitcher this season, one fewer than last year's club record.
In other news, the Twins placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day disabled list with a left groin muscle strain. Buxton was injured on Friday while scoring from first on a double in the fourth inning, then felt it in the sixth as he doubled to right.
Buxton will need at least 4-5 days to recover from the injury, and the Twins don't want to risk him aggravating the injury after that.
"It's a hard one in that we're not sure if he will be healthy in four, five, six days," Molitor said. "The timing is right. And his legs are such a huge part of his game in that you don't want him to be battling that at less than 100 percent going into the last few months of the season. So we are going to take the ten days and try to get it right."
The Twins activated Joe Mauer off the DL to take Buxton's place on the roster. Mauer has been slowed by a sore lower back but went through a full workout before Friday's and is in the lineup Saturday.
Kennys Vargas, meanwhile, ran in the outfield before Saturday's game and was able to stay off the DL.
