Scott Baker, who got lit up by the Red Sox Monday night, is the Twins' best starting pitcher but is going on the DL for the second time this season. Joe Christensen:
The Twins returned Scott Baker to the 15-day disabled list with a strained flexor muscle in his right elbow and recalled Kevin Slowey, who is scheduled to start Sunday in Cleveland.
On a list of unhappy pitchers with 4.6 career strikeout-to-walk ratios in the major leagues, Kevin Slowey must be somewhere near the top. Slowey actually went 13-6 last season, but his ERA wasn't real good because he gives up a lot of home runs, but he's been hurt this season and the Twins don't like him much anyway, so most of his action's come in the minors ... where he's done what he always does.
Slowey's action with the big club this season consists of six relief outings and 15 innings. His track record suggests a perfectly capable No. 4/5 starter, and he's still only 27. He'll probably need to find a new team to get another legitimate shot in the rotation, so the next few weeks are probably an audition that Slowey will be highly motivated to pass.