Recalibrating the bullpen and other items

Glen Perkins was one of two Minnesota natives to return to active duty with the Twins Friday — more on the other guy later — and Ron Gardenhire immediately plugged him back into the eighth inning role he vacated when he pulled his oblique.

Alex Burnett, meanwhile, had a rough seventh inning (which made Perkins' scoreless eighth vital). I still see Burnett as the team's best right-handed set-up choice, but that's not saying much.

Joe Mauer singles home a run in the first
inning Friday night.

The current bullpen roles:

Closer: Matt Capps
Setup 1: Glen Perkins
LOOGY 1: Jose Mijares
Setup2/Middle reliever 1: Burnett
LOOGY 2: Phil Dumatrait
Middle reliever 2: Jim Hoey
Long Man: Anthony Swarzak

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Much to the disappointment of certain talk-radio-addled columnists, Joe Mauer was greeted Friday with an ovation at Target Field.

First at-bat, RBI single, followed by a run scored. Not quite like his belated 2009 debut, when he homered in his first AB, but plenty good.

No. 7 is back in the lineup and behind the plate. The Twins have won 12 of 14. Things are looking up.