Twins

6/4: Terry Ryan on Alex Meyer, Glen Perkins and FSL All Stars

Terry Ryan addressed the media prior to Saturday’s game on a number of topics, including Alex Meyer’s health, the Florida State League All-Star Game and a few others. Here are the highlights of that chat:

  • The Twins placed Alex Meyer on the 7-day disabled list at Rochester on Saturday. Meyer hasn’t pitched since starting for the Twins in Houston on May 3 due to right shoulder fatigue. Ryan said that the club hadn’t put him on the disabled list before because, in addition to there being no retroactive DL’ing in the minors, he’d been close to ready to return before not feeling great again. “He’s not doing too much down there,” Ryan said. “Which is of concern.” Meyer has not had a cortisone shot, but will seek a second opinion from a doctor of his choosing. “We’re OK with that,” Ryan said, as Meyer’s second medical opinion will come from someone outside the scope of the team’s physicians. “That’s certainly his right. It’s not unusual.”
  • Glen Perkins threw a bullpen prior to Saturday’s game, and Ryan said the next would come on Tuesday. “So far, so good,” Ryan said.
  • Ryan on what Phil Hughes needs to do in the bullpen to get back on track: “He gives us the length we’re looking for out there,” Ryan said. “But ultimately it’s about getting people out. We’re hoping it’ll happen out there, just like we were hoping it would happen the other day. He’ll have to have better command, and we’ll go from there. Doesn’t matter where you are, you’re looking for outs.”
  • Ryan on if he recalled having eight All Stars before like the Fort Myers Miracle has this year at High-A: “We do every year. Whether it’s at Cedar Rapids or Fort Myers…..they get a lot of guys in the All-Star games in those leagues. We’ve had eight, nine All Stars in various years. I’m not sure to that proportion, all though the Midwest League only has 16 teams, so that’s one of the reasons. We have some people who have performed, and they’ve been rewarded.”
  • Ryan on infielder Engelb Vielma, a strong defensive infielder who came off the disabled list with an oblique strain at Double-A Chattanooga, and was subsequently sent to Fort Myers to team up with Nick Gordon up the middle: “We’re going to flip them around. Gordon’s already played some second base. Vielma has played third and short, and can play second. We’re going to move them around and make sure they get flavor for all the infield positions. It’s probably a good situation, because you never know how it’ll pan out as they progress through the system. Both of them can play shortstop, which is the best thing I can tell you. We’re just making sure they have enough exposure to those other two spots.”
  • On Vielma offensively: “He’s not very strong. That’s the only thing. He’s a switch hitter who can really run and takes competitive at-bats, but doesn’t have the strength yet to drive a ball consistently.”

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