Dyson to rest arm; Twins patient with Marwin

MINNEAPOLIS -- Sam Dyson didn't allow a hit and recorded three outs in Tuesday night's game at Fenway Park, but he felt pain throughout the outing, and couldn't pick up his right arm when he woke on Wednesday morning.

The Twins cut Dyson's road trip short and sent him back to Minneapolis to be examined, and according to manager Rocco Baldelli, the medical examination of Dyson's arm revealed no cause for serious concern. The 31-year-old reliever is expected to return to the mound this season.

"Extremely frustrating," Dyson said. "I wasn't expecting this at all. My arm felt really good last month."

Dyson said he initially thought he blew out his arm, but an MRI of the area didn't show damage, and the plan is to give him several days of rest before he plays catch to gauge his progress.

Dyson had already benefited from rest earlier this season, when the Twins placed the right-hander on the injured list with right biceps tendinitis in early August following his trade from San Francisco. Dyson said at the time that the pain became an issue for him in mid-July, before he was acquired by the Twins in a deal at the July 31 Trade Deadline.

"Just hopeful that it doesn't happen again," Dyson said. "I'm sure if it happens again, it'll take a lot longer to come back from."

Following his return from that first stint on the IL, Dyson posted a 2.53 ERA with seven strikeouts and four walks in 10 2/3 innings across 10 appearances out of the Twins' bullpen.

"After those 10-ish days the last time, we sent him out there and he threw the heck out of the ball," Baldelli said. "He was sharp, his stuff was way up. We've had a chance to see what he looks like when he's rested and feeling good, and it's very impressive."

Twins patient with Gonzalez
Marwin Gonzalez played catch on the field before Friday night's game against the Indians and feels his abdominal strain continuing to improve, but the veteran's return to the field still appears to be some time away.

Gonzalez had never injured his oblique area, so he initially thought he might return to the field within several days of the injury, which has kept him out of action since Aug. 27. But given the risks associated with injuries to this area, the Twins have had no interest in rushing Gonzalez.

"First time I've been hurt on this part of my body," he said. "I was hoping that I could play [last week] in Detroit. I couldn't even play in Boston, so it's frustrating. We keep working every day and keep progressing. I'm getting better for sure."

Gonzalez said he had only been swinging at soft toss in the batting cage every other day, with his last session on Tuesday, and he hoped to work with head athletic trainer Tony Leo in the cage again on Friday at Target Field.

Given that the Twins are 7-2 in Gonzalez's absence, with Willians Astudillo and Jake Cave capably stepping up into expanded roles, there's no real need for the Twins to risk additional injury by fast-tracking his return to the field. That still hasn't stopped Gonzalez from being very bored while on the bench -- but he'll manage.

"The guys have been playing really good, so that's all that matters," Gonzalez said. "They'll give me a little more time. I've enjoyed watching them play the way that the team has been playing."