With manager Ron Gardenhire urging Michael Cuddyer to make a slow return from his strained oblique (so as not to re-injure it and make it worse), it's still possible that Jason Kubel will open the year in the starting lineup for the Twins. Kubel has hit .311 with a team-leading 11 RBI this spring, showing no signs of the torn ACL (suffered during the 2004 Arizona Fall League) which caused him to miss all of last season.
One thing that is for certain -- it won't be Kubel's health that keeps him from earning the spot or starting at the position.
"The knee, it's not even a question anymore," Kubel said.
Kubel is a .323 hitter in the minors and there's no reason that he can't eventually earn a full-time job in Minnesota this year even after Cuddyer returns.
Notes: Kubel has a shot in outfield [MLB.com]