Shoulder sends Twins SS Everett to 15-day DL

5/22/2008 5:56 PM

By DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Another problem for Minnesota's unstable middle infield has popped up.

Shortstop Adam Everett was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a strained right shoulder. His pain is in a different place than the previous shoulder injury that sent him to the DL last month.

``I don't know how to explain it, other than it does feel like a knife,'' Everett said. ``I don't know how to describe how it happened. It just happened. ... I'm at a loss for words. Very, very disappointing.''

The Twins announced infielder Matt Macri will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Friday, but Gardenhire spoke less than confidently before Thursday's game about the majors-ready options in the farm system. Asked about the possibility of pursuing help from outside the organization in a trade, Gardenhire deferred to the front office.

Brendan Harris, the original second baseman, has been playing more at shortstop, his natural position, with Alexi Casilla taking over at second.

Nick Punto (hamstring) and Matt Tolbert (thumb) are already on the DL, leaving the Twins awfully short in the infield. Punto could be back in a week, but Tolbert will likely miss two months or more.

``We don't have much choices here so these young men have got to get after it,'' Gardenhire said.

The manager sounded as though he missed Jason Bartlett, the late-blooming shortstop who finally became comfortable at the position last season. Bartlett was traded to Tampa Bay in the six-player deal that brought Brendan Harris and Delmon Young in November.

``I did not want him to be in it, but they were pretty insistent,'' Gardenhire said.

Everett was signed as a light-hitting but defensively sound replacement. His bum shoulder, however, has prevented him from even contributing much in the field.

``He wants to be out there so bad,'' Gardenhire said.

The Twins were willing to sacrifice some defense to upgrade the offense in the infield by signing Mike Lamb to be the third baseman and putting Harris at second. But so far, both areas have been worse. Lamb is one of three regulars yet to homer and is batting .222.

For now, Harris and Casilla will be the double-play combination. In Thursday's game against Texas, they turned four of them and looked relatively comfortable doing it.

``He's working and I'm working, too,'' Casilla said.