Matt Capps returns from injury, but not as the closer for the Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins reliever Matt Capps returned to action on Monday in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees for the first time since July 16 after suffering from inflammation in his right rotator cuff but Capps is no longer the team's closer according to manager Ron Gardenhire.

Gardenhire told Ray Richardson of TwinCities.com that Capps will be used when needed in relief but Glen Perkins will be the team's closer for the remainder of the season.

Capps, a nine year veteran in his third year with the Twins, has appeared in 30 games this season and has posted a 1-4 record with 14 saves.

Perkins has appeared in 67 games for the Twins this season and has a 4-1 record with 15 saves.

Despite being eliminated from playoff contention with a 65-91 record, the Twins will have an opportunity to influence the post-season as they open a three-game series with the division leading Detroit Tigers this Friday. The Tigers are currently tied with the White Sox for first place in the AL Central.

Matt Capps Injury: Twins Reliever Ready To Pitch Again

Minnesota Twins reliever Matt Capps has been cleared to pitch after throwing two simulated games last week, according to John Shipley of the Pioneer Press.

Capps has been out with a shoulder injury since July 16. Capps, 29, is a free agent following this season and has said that he would like to audition his skills to prospective teams before this season ends, however, manager Ron Gardenhire is more concerned about how Capps will contribute to the team.

"One thing I talked to him about: I don't want this just to be get ready, pitch one time and have him say, 'I'm good. I'm done,' " Gardenhire said Sunday, Sept. 23. "We don't need that, and he doesn't need that. If you're going to come back, come back and be part of the bullpen."

The Twins have only nine games remaining. Capps will be active Monday for Minnesota's series opener with the New York Yankees.

Capps is 1-4 with a 3.81 ERA and 14 saves in 28.1 innings of work this season.

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Matt Capps Injury Takes Him To Twins Instructional League

Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Matt Capps has been out of action since July 16 because of inflammation in his rotator cuff. He is heading to the Twins' Instructional League team in Florida, where he will start throwing to batters this week. Capps hopes to return to the Twins before the season is over.

Capps, 29, is hoping to pitch in the majors again this season, and assistant general manager Rob Antony said if all goes well, he could join the big league team for a three-game series against the Yankees at Target Field on Sept. 24.

Related: White Sox 9, Twins 2: Mauer Homers but Minnesota Swept at Home

Capps is 1-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 2012. He has struck out 18 batters and walked four over 28-1/3 innings. The eight-year MLB veteran is in his third season with the Twins.

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Matt Capps Injury: MRI Reveals Nothing New, Return Still Delayed

Minnesota Twins closer Matt Capps has been battling shoulder issues throughout the 2012 season. Capps originally hit the disabled list in June and returned briefly before heading back to the DL in July. His latest examinations reveal the same level of inflammation and it will be a while yet before he can return to action.

According to John Shipley of the Pioneer Press, results of an MRI on his rotator cuff on Monday revealed Capps' shoulder inflammation had not worsened, but remained about the same as before.

Capps is still hopeful he can begin a new throwing regimen soon and is shooting for a return to action in early September, although that seems unlikely at this point. For the time being, the Twins will have to continue to muddle along without their closer.

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Matt Capps Injury: Twins Pitcher To Undergo MRI On Monday

The Minnesota Twins have had trouble all over the roster this season, but the pitching staff has undergone numerous iterations due to injuries and general ineffectiveness. A regular could be returning, however, as closer Matt Capps is set for an MRI on Monday to see how his injured shoulder is recovering.

Capps has pitched a total of three innings since being diagnosed with shoulder inflammation on June 16 and, since he hasn't thrown a baseball since mid-July, the Twins don't think the MRI will help them discover anything new. Instead, according to general manager Terry Ryan, it's more to give Capps peace of mind.

"We're just doing it to make sure, so we can clear him to start throwing," he said. "We give MRIs many times to guys that don't necessarily (need one). ... A lot of times it's to give the player peace of mind. We did not schedule this because of an issue. It's about peace of mind."

Capps said that, barring any issues, he expects to return to the lineup in early September.

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Matt Capps Injury: Twins Closer Still Experiencing Shoulder Soreness, Will See Team Doctors Tuesday

Despite being brought back from the 15-day disabled list last week, Minnesota Twins closer Matt Capps is still reportedly feeling soreness in his throwing shoulder. Ben Goessling of the Pioneer Press is reporting that Capps is unavailable for Tuesday's game with Baltimore while he meets with team doctors to assess his status.

The right-handed reliever recorded a 1-2-3 inning in his first appearance back on the mound on July 14 and looked just fine, but revealed the soreness shortly after giving up a pair of runs on 18 pitches in Monday's blowout win. Capps is 14 of 15 on save chances this year and continues to play better than the guy who turned in a dismal 2011 campaign, so this is obviously distressing news that he might have to miss more time. Hopefully for the Twins a few extra days of rest, and not another DL stint, will be enough to get Capps back to full health.

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Twins' Matt Capps Reinstated From DL, Kyle Waldrop Optioned To Triple-A Rochester

The Minnesota Twins have reinstated right-handed pitcher Matt Capps from the 15-day disabled list, according to the Star Tribune. Capps was on the disabled list due to a sore shoulder, but he had a couple of rehab assignments with Single-A Fort Meyers, and pitched a couple of scoreless innings while doing so.

Capps is 1-4 with a 3.42 earned-run average and 14 saves on the season. He had the closing role before he was injured and he might get the same role again, but it's likely he'll be brought in closer to the seventh and eighth innings to ease back into the role. As it stands, the Twins are doing well in regards to closers with Jared Burton and Glen Perkins being mostly-solid.

Right-hander Kyle Waldrop was optioned to Triple-A Rochester to make room for Capps on the roster. The piece from the Star Tribune notes that the non-waiver trade deadline is right around the corner on July 31 and the Twins might be trying to get Capps some time to see if there's some value to be had from teams looking for a reliever/closer.

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Matt Capps Injury: Twins Closer To Play Catch Monday, Hopes To Return Soon

The road to recovery can sometimes be a slow one, but injured Minnesota Twins closer Matt Capps is looking forward to taking the next step on Monday when he plays catch for the first time since receiving a cortisone shot last week.

The 28-year-old pitcher was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury on June 25, but picked up a bit of good news when MRI results showed only inflammation in his shoulder and not significant damage. Interestingly enough, Minnesota's closer-by-committee duo of Jared Burton and Glen Perkins is a perfect 4-for-4 on save opportunities while Capps has been on the shelf

For more on Capps' injury as he continues the rehab process, stay right here with this StoryStream. For more Twins coverage, head over to Twinkie Town. For more MLB news, visit Baseball Nation.

Matt Capps Injury: MRI Results Show No Significant Damage To Shoulder

On Monday night, Minnesota Twins injured closer Matt Capps received a bit of good news when he learned that the results of an MRI on his right shoulder displayed that there was no significant damage to the arm, just inflammation.

Capps will likely be receiving a cortisone shot in his shoulder for the first time in his career following a recommendation from the Twins medical staff on Monday night.

The time-table for his return is still being sketched out but he is not expected to pick up a baseball until Sunday or Monday and hopes to be on a rehab assignment during the All-Star break so that he can return to the team by mid-July.

The reliever said the process has been uncomfortable and offered up his opinion as to why the injury has been lingering.

Via ESPN 1500:

"After taking a week of not throwing I kind of expected it to be better. When it wasn't, it was a little more alarming. ...

"I think it's just the irregularity of work I guess. We had like a week there where I didn't pitch, but that last road trip I think I warmed up in all but one of those games, or pitched. Just kind of ups and downs like that, normal things that you go through over the course of the season, it just kind of caught up to me."

Capps was place on the disabled list on Monday afternoon.

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Matt Capps Injury: Twins Closer Headed To Disabled List

On Monday afternoon, the Minnesota Twins announced that closer Matt Capps will officially be placed onto the disabled list due to right shoulder inflammation. Capps has been battling the shoulder issue for a while now but it was thought that he would only be out for a short period of time.

In fact, back on June 19, Twins general manager Terry Ryan said that he expected Capps to return to action quickly, even going as far to say that he was fine and listed the closer as day-to-day.

Now, following a setback stemming from his one-inning appearance against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night, Capps will be placed on the DL.

After the appearance, Capps told Twins manager Rod Gardenhire Sunday morning that his shoulder was acting up again and that the inflammation soreness had returned.

Via the Twins official website:

"We gave him, what, a week? We basically pushed him out for a week and that's about as long as you can wait," Gardenhire said. "He said he felt great, but the big test was coming out today. That's what happened the last time he threw, he came in the next day and was really sore. Same thing. He said he was sore in his shoulder."

To replace Capps on the 25-man roster, the Twins have called up left-hander Tyler Robertson from Triple-A Rochester and will use left-hander Glen Perkins and right-hander Jared Burton as co-closers.

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Matt Capps Injury: Tyler Robertson Earns A Call-up

It appears as if Matt Capps is headed to the disabled list, forcing the Minnesota Twins to make a roster move to fill-in for their injured closer. Capps has been inactive for the last few games. He is likely headed to the disabled list as a result of his shoulder inflammation, and according tot he Minneapolis Star-Tribune, left-hander Tyler Robertson will be the beneficiary:

The Twins plan to promote lefthanded reliever Tyler Robertson from Class AAA Rochester to fill an expected roster opening Monday, with closer Matt Capps likely headed to the disabled list, Twins spokesman Dustin Morse confirmed tonight.

Robertson received word from Red Wings manager Gene Glynn after Sunday's game and is expected to be in Minnesota on Monday for the start of a three-game series against the White Sox.

Robertson has pitched in 33 games this season for Triple-A Rochester, and the 24-year old was a third round pick in the 2006 Draft. This is his first appearance in the Major Leagues.

Matt Capps Injury: Twins Closer Could Miss Another Game Or Two With Sore Shoulder

The pitching injury problems aren't getting all that much better for the Minnesota Twins, but the latest one shouldn't be a problem for too long. Matt Capps was held out of the first game of the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates because of shoulder soreness.

He's likely to miss another game or two, possibly the rest of the series against the Pirates thanks to the shoulder inflammation. Fortunately, it shouldn't progress beyond that for Capps, and he has said he feels decent even through the hold out, throwing early in the bullpen on Tuesday but eventually being pulled:

"He feels good enough, but we're not going to use him," Gardenhire said. "We're going to back him up another day at least, maybe two. We want him to be healthy, and he's not totally there yet."

Without Capps, the Twins are going with 'closer by committee' again, with Jared Burton and Glen Perkins being the two most likely candidates on any given night to help the Twins in save situations.

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