May 14
LHP Francisco Liriano made his first relief appearance since being demoted to the bullpen Monday, pitching two scoreless but scary innings in a 5-4 loss to Cleveland at Target Field. He hadn't pitched since his last start, an 8-3 loss to the Angels on May 7, which dropped him to 0-5 with a 9.45 earned-run average.
May 14
Liriano threw two scoreless innings in relief in Monday's loss to Cleveland. He had three strikeouts and three walks.
Recommendation: The Twins will try to ease Liriano back into action in relief to try to build back his confidence. The Twins say they want him to return to the rotation, but there's no timetable. While two scoreless innings are a good sign, he still walked three batters and free passes have been his major issue (he has a 24:22 K:BB ratio).
May 9
The struggling Minnesota Twins are shaking things up, moving Liriano to the bullpen and optioning third baseman Danny Valencia to Triple-A Rochester.
Advice: Liriano is 0-5 with a 9.45 ERA in six starts this season. Manager Ron Gardenhire says they are hoping he regains some confidence in the bullpen and they still view him as a starter for the long term. The Twins selected the contract of right-hander P.J. Walters from Rochester. He will start on Saturday against Toronto.
