With Minnesota Twins closer Matt Capps on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, the club will rely on the tandem of lefty Glen Perkins and righty Jared Burton, according to an article from The Star Tribune.
Capps had a 3.42 ERA and 14 saves before being sidelined. He had one blown save and a 1-4 record.
From the Star Tribune:
"We're going to mix and match and see how it goes," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Monday before the 4-1 victory over the White Sox.
When the bullpen was healthy, Burton, with his split-fingered changeup, worked the seventh inning, and Perkins, with his 95-miles-per-hour fastball, worked the eighth. Neither considers the revised role a big deal. Many set-up men enter games with runners on base, so they feel they are battle-tested.
"It's been based on matchups anyway," said Burton, who pitched a scoreless ninth Monday for his second career save, "so I guess we'll move back to eighth and ninth and just take it in stride. You just have to look at it as just another inning and know that the pressure is on [the opponent]. They are the ones that are losing."
The article goes on to say that the Twins are wary of using Burton in back-to-back games because of his history with injuries. As such, Perkins might see more save opportunities.
Capps received a cortisone injection and is expected to rejoin the team sometime after the All-Star break.
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