By La Velle E. Neal III
Star Tribune

Lew Ford strained his right oblique muscle in the fifth inning during an
at-bat that ended in a double play Thursday night against Cleveland, then
was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game.

It was the last thing the Twins outfield needed. Jason Kubel has sore
knees. Shannon Stewart has a sore foot.

"It came out of nowhere," Ford said.

The Twins have purchased the contract of outfielder Jason Tyner from Class
AAA Rochester. Tyner entered Thursday batting .329 with 22 RBI with the
Red Wings and played in the Class AAA All-Star Game on Wednesday.

Kubel's left knee underwent major reconstruction in 2004, costing him the
2005 season. Kubel theorized Thursday that his right knee was aching
lately because of compensating for the left one.

Kubel hoped the All-Star break would be enough rest for his knees, but he
felt the same discomfort during pregame warmups Thursday.

Kubel was examined during Thursday's game, and doctors concluded there is
no structural damage to his knees. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire thinks
Kubel's knees got stiff during the All-Star break.

"He needs to fight through it," Gardenhire said.

Kubel is batting .291 with seven homers and 24 RBI and had taken over most
of the left field duties.

Radke's sore shoulder

Righthander Brad Radke also needed some time to rest his shoulder,
revealing that he's been in discomfort since mid-May. He hasn't had full
range of motion and even had trouble throwing between starts. His fastball
lately has been fluctuating between 84 and 91 miles per hour.

The last straw came July 5, when he lasted only five innings against
Kansas City, giving up three runs on 11 hits. He flew to the Twin Cities
the next day to receive a cortisone shot.

Radke (7-7, 5.13) said his shoulder now feels great as he prepares to
start tonight against Cleveland. How long does he think the shot's effects
will last?

"Hopefully another three months," he said.

Radke was 4-7 with a 6.42 ERA on June 3 but never went public with his
condition.

"He refused to use it as an excuse," Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson
said.

Silva to return

Anderson described righthander Carlos Silva's bullpen session as "lights
out," and he will start Sunday against Cleveland. That means righthander
Scott Baker will start Monday against Tampa Bay.

The Twins' rotation never has been so unstable, with Radke's shoulder,
Silva's knee and Baker trying to keep the back end of the rotation from
flying away.

Garza moves up

The Twins promoted righthander Matt Garza to Class AAA Rochester after he
went 6-2, 2.51 in 10 starts at Class AA New Britain. It's a promotion
worth noting because Garza could position himself for a late-season look
if he does well.

Garza was the Twins' first-round pick in the 2005 draft, meaning he's
rocketed through the system in just more than 13 months as a pro. He began
this season at Class A Fort Myers, where he was 5-1, 1.42 in eight starts
before moving to New Britain.

Last update: July 14, 2006 – 12:10 AM