The good news for the Minnesota Twins: With the return of first baseman Justin Morneau (concussion) for Friday’s season opener, their lineup is completely healthy for the first time since last July. The bad news: Manager Ron Gardenhire will have to get creative to find at-bats for everyone.

That includes DH Jim Thome, who is 11 homers away from 600 for his career.

“To get Thome the right at-bats somebody is going to have to sit,” Gardenhire told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “So it’s going to be one of the big boys who will probably have to sit out a game here and there to make sure Thome is swinging.”

The newspaper lists DH Jason Kubel, outfielders Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer and catcher Joe Mauer among the players who occasionally will have to take a seat.

The lineup won’t be the only place that the Twins have a logjam.

Gardenhire told the team’s website that relievers Joe Nathan and Matt Capps will share the closer duties early in the season.

Nathan missed the entire 2010 season following Tommy John surgery. Capps saved 42 games last season, including 16 after he was dealt to the Twins from the Nationals in July.

“We’ve talked to Joe and Capper about it. We know Joe can’t go three, four or five days in a row, or maybe even two, so we’ll protect him early. We have two pretty good ones there,” Gardenhire told the Twins’ website.

Ron Gardenhire has watched Justin Morneau work his way back from a concussion that kept him out for the final three months of last season.

The Minnesota Twins manager has seen all the work the first baseman has put in and heard all the optimistic talk about being ready for opening day.

Just for good measure, Gardenhire called Morneau into his office for a one-on-one talk about where things stood, with the season just a few days away.

“I set him in my office and said, ‘Are you ready to do this?’” Gardenhire told reporters in a conference call from Toronto on Thursday. “He said he’s ready to do it. That’s all I can go by.”

Morneau will be in the Twins’ opening day lineup at first base Friday in Toronto, the same place where his season ended last year. He was sliding into second base to try to break up a double play July 7 when Blue Jays second baseman John McDonald’s knee accidentally caught Morneau in the helmet.

What initially was viewed as a minor injury wound up keeping the 2006 AL MVP out for the remainder of the season. Morneau continued to have symptoms through the winter, but they gradually started to dissipate and he’s said he feels much better this spring.

The Twins have been cautious with his rehab, and he played in only 10 spring games. He hit just .152, including going 0 for 7 in two exhibition games against Atlanta this week.

“He’ll tell you that he’s getting closer,” Gardenhire said. “There’s been a couple times he really looked like he was on the ball. In Atlanta, it looked like he was lifting it a little bit. That’s just from not getting him on the field enough so he can get his swing down.”

Morneau will be hitting in his customary cleanup spot, but Gardenhire said he will look to get his slugger more days off early in the season than he normally does. With Jim Thome on the bench, Gardenhire has another formidable option to plug into the cleanup spot on days that Morneau rests.

It’s likely DH Jason Kubel would move to right field and Michael Cuddyer would come in to play first base in that scenario, which is how the Twins played it when Morneau was out last season.

“We’ll play a few days and see how he’s doing and give him a break, a game here and there,” Gardenhire said. “That gives me a chance to get Thome in the lineup.”

All in all, Gardenhire said he was pleased with the health of his team as the season approached. Catcher Joe Mauer had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the winter and didn’t do much catching in the spring, but all indications are he is ready to go.

Joe Nathan is back in the closer’s role as well after missing last season because of Tommy John surgery. Nathan had his customary slow spring with a 9.72 ERA in nine outings, but the Twins have been encouraged by how his arm has responded after the surgery.

Nathan will be Gardenhire’s first option for the ninth inning, but he won’t hesitate to bring in Matt Capps, a closer acquired last season in a trade with Washington, to give Nathan a day off every now and then.

“We know Joe’s not going to be able to go out there three, four days in a row, or maybe even two,” Gardenhire said. “We’re going to try to protect him early in the season. We’ve got two pretty good ones there.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Justin Morneau will be in the Minnesota Twins’ opening day lineup at first base Friday in Toronto, the same place where his season ended last year.

He was sliding into second base to try to break up a double play July 7 when Blue Jays second baseman John McDonald’s knee accidentally caught Morneau in the helmet. Morneau suffered a concussion that kept him out for the final three months of last season.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire has seen all the work the first baseman has put in and heard all the optimistic talk about Morneau being ready for Opening Day. Just for good measure, Gardenhire called Morneau into his office for a one-on-one talk about where things stood, with the season just a few days away.

“I set him in my office and said, ‘Are you ready to do this?’ ” Gardenhire told reporters in a conference call from Toronto on Thursday. “He said he’s ready to do it. That’s all I can go by.”

What initially was viewed as a minor injury wound up keeping the 2006 AL MVP out for the remainder of the season. Morneau continued to have symptoms through the winter, but they gradually started to dissipate and he’s said he feels much better this spring.

The Twins have been cautious with his rehab, and he played in only 10 spring games. He hit just .152, including going 0 for 7 in two exhibition games against Atlanta this week.

“He’ll tell you that he’s getting closer,” Gardenhire said. “There’s been a couple times he really looked like he was on the ball. In Atlanta, it looked like he was lifting it a little bit. That’s just from not getting him on the field enough so he can get his swing down.”

Morneau will be hitting in his customary cleanup spot, but Gardenhire said he will look to get his slugger more days off early in the season than he normally does. With Jim Thome on the bench, Gardenhire has another formidable option to plug into the cleanup spot on days that Morneau rests.

It’s likely DH Jason Kubel would move to right field and Michael Cuddyer would come in to play first base in that scenario, which is how the Twins played it when Morneau was out last season.

“We’ll play a few days and see how he’s doing and give him a break, a game here and there,” Gardenhire said. “That gives me a chance to get Thome in the lineup.”

All in all, Gardenhire said he was pleased with the health of his team as the season approached. Catcher Joe Mauer had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the winter and didn’t do much catching in the spring, but all indications are he is ready to go.

Joe Nathan is back in the closer’s role as well after missing last season because of Tommy John surgery. Nathan had his customary slow spring with a 9.72 ERA in nine outings, but the Twins have been encouraged by how his arm has responded after the surgery.

Nathan will be Gardenhire’s first option for the ninth inning, but he won’t hesitate to bring in Matt Capps, a closer acquired last season in a trade with Washington, to give Nathan a day off every now and then.

“We know Joe’s not going to be able to go out there three, four days in a row, or maybe even two,” Gardenhire said. “We’re going to try to protect him early in the season. We’ve got two pretty good ones there.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

ATLANTA — Brandon Beachy escaped jams in his final spring start with the same tenacity he showed to claim a spot in the Atlanta Braves’ rotation.

Beachy stranded six baserunners in four scoreless innings and Scott Baker was just as strong for the Minnesota Twins in their 2-0 win over the Braves on Wednesday.

Beachy gave up five hits and no walks. He overcame errors by his defense in the first and fourth innings. He left the bases loaded in the fourth when he struck out Alexi Casilla.

“We got him in some jams, but the guy, he’s unflappable, really,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “He got himself out and that’s what he’s been doing.”

The 24-year-old Beachy posted a 0.90 ERA for the spring to beat out Mike Minor and Rodrigo Lopez for the fifth spot in the Braves’ rotation. He was 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts in his debut in the major leagues late last season.

“I can’t wait to win,” Beachy said. “I want to have a number other than zero next to my name.”

Many observers considered Minor, who also posted a strong 0.90 ERA this spring, the favorite in the spring competition because he would have given the rotation its first left-hander. Instead, Beachy is joining Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, Tim Hudson and Jair Jurrjens in the rotation.

“Man, oh man, knock on wood, he was good,” Gonzalez said of Beachy. “He’s a good guy to cheer for.

“He’s got good command of all his pitches and throws them for strikes. He does everything well, from holding runners to fielding his position to handling the bat. He throws strikes. The whole package. Not that the other guys don’t, but this guy’s stuff really stands out.”

Lowe will start in today’s opener at Washington.

The Twins scored two runs in the eighth off Lopez. Jason Kubel drove in Jason Repko with a double. Kubel scored on Brian Dinkelman’s single.

Baker gave up three hits with a walk in five innings.

Lopez, who is headed for Triple-A Gwinnett, pitched five innings, giving up three hits and two runs.

Twins first baseman Justin Morneau was 0-for-3, leaving his batting average at .152 for the spring.

Gardenhire said the good news is Morneau and other key players are healthy.

Morneau is expected to start in Friday’s opener at Toronto in his return from a concussion. Joe Mauer is back after minor surgery on his left knee in December. Joe Nathan, who had 47 saves in 2009, is returning from major elbow surgery.

“You’d like to start and finish with your core group,” Gardenhire said. “That’s always a nice thing, to be able to do that.”

Minnesota finished the spring 20-12. Atlanta was 17-13.

With Opening Day just a couple of days away, the Twins have finalized their 25-man roster to start the 2011 Major League Baseball season.

The Twins will go with the standard five-man rotation, and Carl Pavano will get the call on Opening Day for the Twins in Toronto. He’ll be followed in the rotation by Francisco Liriano and Brian Duensing. Nick Blackburn and Scott Baker will take up the other two rotation spots, which means that Kevin Slowey has been moved to the bullpen.

Speaking of the bullpen, despite a bit of a rough spring, the returning Joe Nathan has secured the closer’s role over last year’s mid-season acquisition, Matt Capps. Capps will likely occupy the eighth inning role for the team, and can easily step into the ninth inning spot should Nathan experience any issues in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Your starters around the infield will be Justin Morneau at first, newcomer Tsuyoshi Nishioka at second, Alexi Casilla at shortstop, and Danny Valencia at third. Matt Tolbert has remained on the roster as the utility infielder. The outfield will consist of Michael Cuddyer in right, Denard Span in center, and Delmon Young in left. Jason Kubel will see some time in the outfield, but would ideally spend more time at DH. . .as long as he doesn’t take too many at bats away from JIMMER and his tater-mashing ability. Jason Repko is also on the team as an outfield reserve.

At catcher, Drew Butera will be the backup, and if you’re not quite sure who the Twins are starting at catcher, you’re likely in the wrong place.

You can learn all the ins and outs about your 2011 Minnesota Twins roster right here.