You know it has been an injury-plagued season when the Twins decide to shut down their closer 10 days early, and the general manager says, "It's actually good news."
But you can't blame Terry Ryan for feeling that way. The Twins put Glen Perkins through two days of tests; took three separate magnetic resonance imaging exams on his neck, shoulder and elbow, searched for any possible nerve damage; and finally concluded: No surgery will be necessary.
"We don't think it's anything that's going to hinder his ability to be ready to go" in 2015, Ryan said. The required treatment "is just maintenance and strengthening as we go through the winter months."
That's because all the doctors could find is a recurrence of a forearm strain that Perkins has suffered, to a lesser extent, late in each of the past two seasons, and some nerve irritation in the same muscle.
"There's no sign of any nerve damage, [or] any process that's going to need anything surgical," said Dr. John Steubs, the Twins director of medical services. "He has had similar symptoms over the last couple of years, and we've been able to maintain or to treat it and not have it get to the point where it bugged him as much as it has. … This time, we weren't able to get on top of it."
Still, the testing left Perkins with some positive news, too: He's aging well. "His ulnar collateral [ligament] is perfect," Steubs said. "It really is good, for the throwing he's done."
The diagnosis almost certainly means Perkins won't be able to tour Japan with a group of major leaguers after the season, and it ends his season on a flat note. Perkins earned 34 saves (plus another in the All-Star Game) and posted a 3.65 ERA, but he gave up 10 runs over his final eight outings, blowing three saves. After giving up just two home runs through late August, he surrendered five in his last 6⅓ innings.
Milone not ready
Anthony Swarzak will start against Cleveland in place of Tommy Milone on Sunday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire confirmed. Milone, who hasn't pitched since Sept. 2, is still recovering from a cortisone shot he received earlier this week to relieve the neck stiffness that has bothered him recently.
"He's doing better. We're ramping him up" in hopes of using him during the season's final week, Ryan said.
Milone threw in the outfield Friday, but he isn't yet ready to step back on a mound.
"I don't know if we can get him out there or not," Ryan said.
It will be Swarzak's third spot start of the season and second in a row. His first start came July 23, when he held Cleveland to one run on two hits over five innings.
Etc.
• Eduardo Escobar's shoulder is better, too, but the shortstop was not in the lineup Friday after getting hurt Tuesday. "We're not sure what would happen if he dove on it again," Gardenhire said. Escobar is likely to return this weekend.
• Lefthanded pitcher Mason Melotakis is still experiencing soreness in his pitching elbow, minor league director Brad Steil said Friday, so the former second-round pick has been dropped from the Twins' seven-man contingent to the Arizona Fall League next month. Righthander Zack Jones, who spent most of 2014 recovering from arm injuries of his own, will replace Malotakis on the Salt River Rafters.
