The Minnesota Twins need Francisco Liriano to get things together sooner rather than later. In lieu of being able to go with the former however, they'll let him rest and get his head straight and resign themselves to the latter. The Pioneer Press is reporting that Liriano will skip his next start for the Twins and take some time off.
Because the Twins have a day off Thursday, they can skip his next start without altering the rotation. Manager Ron Gardenhire said he should be back on the mound on Tuesday, May 1, against the Los Angeles Angels.
Liriano is Minnesota's "ace", but he lacks the consistency that most pitchers with that title have. He's 0-3 with an 11.02 earned-run average after a loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. This isn't the first time he's struggled, though it's still up in the air as to whether or not he's got issues with his arm.
Some figure that he does, given his injury history (starting with a torn ligament in his elbow in his rookie season) and the fact that he's battled with issues in that regard throughout his career. If this rest is mostly for his head and that's good for him, then the Twins are in good shape, but if it's to rest his arm just three starts into the season, then there's definitely cause to worry.
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