The hardest part is behind young Twin

BY JASON WILLIAMS
Pioneer Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jason Kubel couldn't move.

And it had nothing to do with his knee.

Autograph seekers and well-wishers crowded around the
Twins right fielder as he tried to make his way to the
clubhouse after Wednesday morning's exhibition game
against Concordia-St. Paul. After spending almost 1½
years in obscurity to rehabilitate from a major knee
injury, Kubel soaked in the moment.

"I like it when people know who I am," he said. "It's
a good feeling. It's good to know people care. A
couple of years ago, nobody knew who I was. You work
to get to this spot."

Did Kubel ever work.

His commitment to the rehab program has him in a
position to compete for a starting job, although the
Twins see no need to try to rush their 23-year-old top
hitting prospect. Kubel, who received full medical
clearance in December, said he has not experienced any
pain or swelling during spring training.

"It's been a long road back," he said.

Kubel blew out his left knee when he collided with a
teammate during an Arizona Fall League game in October
2004. Two major ligaments were shredded. A doctor told
Kubel that he usually sees such injuries occur during
car accidents, when hundreds — sometimes thousands —
of pounds of metal crush a person's knee.

Kubel, quiet and unassuming, never flinched.

"I knew I would be back," he said.

Manager Ron Gardenhire wasn't so certain. He
accompanied general manager Terry Ryan to Florida in
October to watch Kubel play in the Instructional
League. Kubel was wearing a cumbersome brace, which he
no longer has to wear. He was crushing the ball as the
designated hitter but struggled to run the bases.

"It didn't look good," Gardenhire said. "I'm really
happy that he's back out there running around, because
when (the injury) happened, there was a lot of talk
that some guys never come back from this. It looks
like he's beating the odds right now."

Kubel, who likely would have been the Opening Day
right fielder in 2005 had he not been hurt, embarked
on an aggressive rehabilitation program, splitting his
rehab time last year between Fort Myers and his home
in Southern California. He said the monotony of the
rehab program mentally drained him at times, but there
were positive diversions.

Kubel married his high school sweetheart, Blake
Tonkin, in December. They had a 3,800-square-foot home
built in the hills of Palmdale, Calif., about 50 miles
north of Los Angeles. The house was finished in
November.

"I had a couple of things happen that were good,"
Kubel said. "It took my mind off of (the rehab) quite
a bit."

Kubel is now focused on rebuilding his career. He
passed another big test Wednesday when he slid for the
first time since coming back. He popped right up after
sliding into second base during the exhibition game.

"I did it right on the knee, too," said Kubel, who was
the DH in the scrimmage. "It felt really good. I don't
have any tests left. My knee's going to hold up."

Kubel is competing with Lew Ford and Michael Cuddyer
to fill the vacancy left by Jacque Jones, who signed
with the Chicago Cubs. Cuddyer, who received a raise
of almost $1 million this season, is the favorite to
win the job. Offensively, Kubel could have an edge,
but the Twins have no urgency to appoint him their
Opening Day starter. If he doesn't win the job, he is
expected to start the season in the minors.

Gardenhire plans to use Kubel as a DH in early
Grapefruit League games. The manager said he has no
timetable for when he might insert Kubel into the
outfield.

"I'm guarded," said Gardenhire, adding that there has
been no mandate from the medical staff to be cautious.
"If you watch him run around, he's a little guarded
himself. I want to take it easy. I want the whole
player back."

Posted on Thu, Mar. 02, 2006