danny valencia

The Twins' spring roster cuts Friday were the result, manager Ron Gardenhire said, of rules rather than want. Friday was the final day that injured players could be sent to the minor leagues, meaning that any player in camp and on the 40-man roster who gets injured from here on out will have to go on the major league disabled list. With that in mind, and knowing that Danny Valencia, Trevor Plouffe, Luke Hughes and Anthony Swarzak weren't going to make the Opening Day roster, Gardenhire said the Twins cu

Those things play big into the way you do things in spring training   -Ron Gardenhire

 

Third baseman Danny Valencia was one of four players that the Twins optioned to Triple-A Rochester following Friday's game against the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla. In addition to Valencia, infielders Luke Hughes and Trevor Plouffe and right-handed pitcher Anthony Swarzak were also among the club's cuts on Friday. Valencia had been considered to be in competition for the starting third-base job, so his early cut from camp came as a bit of surprise. But Twins manager Ron Gardenhire explained that the mo

I would have loved to have kept [all of] them over here and had them play all through spring here   -Ron Gardenhire

 

VIERA, Fla. Stephen Strasburg allowed two solo homers and struck out eight in four innings, and the Washington Nationals beat a St. Louis Cardinals split squad 13-5 on Friday night. Strasburg, the top pick in June's draft who signed a record $15.1 million contract, gave up four hits in his longest of three spring training starts. The right-hander threw 73 pitches, 53 of them for strikes.  

Rookies Danny Valencia and Wilson Ramos, neither of whom was a teammate of Johan Santana, hit solo home runs against the Mets' ace in the second inning. Brendan Harris, the designated hitter, drove in two runs and had two hits. Valencia, Jason Kubel, Ramos and Matt Tolbert had two hits apiece.  

 

Danny Valencia's home run in the 8th inning put the Twins up for good in a game where the lead changed hands five times. Offensively, coming out in the first inning with what may very well be the Twins opening day lineup, Justin Morneau knocked in Span and Orlando Hudson to tie the game at 2. Ben Revere also continued his solid spring, going 2-2 with a line drive single and a fly ball double after replacing Denard Span .  

Minnesota third base prospect Danny Valencia hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning and the Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Tuesday. Brendan Harris and Nick Punto are competing for the starting job at third base, but Valencia is coming up behind them. His long shot over the left field fence gave the Twins the lead on a day marked by bad news of a torn ligament in All-Star closer Joe Nathan's throwing elbow.  

Joe Nathan's torn ulnar collateral ligament dominated the conversation around Twins camp Tuesday, and that won't change in the immediate future as the closer seeks a second opinion and takes one to two weeks to decide whether to have season-ending surgery. "We got through it," manager Ron Gardenhire said after Tuesday's 7-6 exhibition win over the St. Louis Cardinals. "We go into an off day tomorrow; I think everybody could use that right now. Today was kind of a stressful day."

We go into an off day tomorrow; I think everybody could use that right now. Today was kind of a stressful day.   -Ron Gardenhire