FORT MYERS, Fla. — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire announced Friday his spring training pitching rotation beyond Carl Pavano, who will start Sunday night’s Grapefruit League opener against Boston at Hammond Stadium. The manager also said the list is subject to change.

Here’s the rotation: Pavano on Sunday, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey on Monday, Scott Baker and Joe Nathan on Tuesday, Brian Duensing on Wednesday, Pavano again on Thursday and Francisco Liriano on Friday. A “horde” of other pitchers also will throw on those days, Gardenhire said.

The names on that list are tentative for a couple of reasons:

• One is Liriano, who has yet to throw live batting practice to hitters. His shoulder tendinitis has him missing at least the first turn through the Twins’ spring rotation.
• Two is Baker, who threw to hitters for the first time Friday and came through the session well. He will do the same Sunday, and if that also goes well, he’ll pitch in Tuesday’s game. Baker has been dealing with soreness in his right elbow after offseason surgery to remove bone chips.

  After throwing on Friday, Baker said, “Every now and then I’ll have (a pitch) that will kind of feel a little funny.” He credited that to an increased extension in his elbow. For now that increased range of motion will take some getting used to, but eventually Baker — who threw all of his pitches Friday, including a half-dozen changeups, the pitch that previously bothered him the

  most — is confident it will make him a better pitcher.

  “I feel like I’m able to get out front more consistently, and that’s always a good thing for pitchers,” Baker said. “(That helps with) finishing your pitches and it allows you to keep the ball down in the zone.”

  Wart sidelines Cuddyer: Michael Cuddyer sat out Friday’s workout because of a wart on the bottom of his left foot that has caused him increased pain, Gardenhire said. Cuddyer developed the issue over the winter and tried to treat the wart with an over-the-counter medication that backfired and resulted in an infection.

  Cuddyer spent Friday soaking his foot and told Gardenhire he doesn’t think the wart will be an issue today. If it is, though, Gardenhire said Cuddyer likely will have to have it removed and then could miss a handful of days recovering.

  Gardenhire was somewhat bemused at Cuddyer’s decision to treat the wart himself this winter.

  “He should have seen a doctor from the get-go,” Gardenhire said, “but you know how you try to do things yourself.”

  No spring training? Rick Stelmaszek’s recovery from surgery to repair a detached retina in his right eye isn’t going as quickly as the Twins initially thought, leading to the possibility he might not make it to spring training.

  “We’re kind of on hold with him,” Gardenhire said of his bullpen coach, who is entering his 31st season with the Twins. “The concern is that he comes down here, gets in the sun and we have issues and it even goes into a longer period of time. Whether he comes to spring training right now we’re not positive. We are going to make sure we take care of his eye, make sure he takes care of it. It’s about doing the right thing.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Twins manager Ron Gardenhire announced Friday his spring training pitching rotation beyond Carl Pavano, who will start Sunday night’s Grapefruit League opener against Boston at Hammond Stadium. The manager also said the list is subject to change.

Here’s the rotation: Pavano on Sunday, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey on Monday, Scott Baker and Joe Nathan on Tuesday, Brian Duensing on Wednesday, Pavano again on Thursday and Francisco Liriano on Friday. A “horde” of other pitchers also will throw on those days, Gardenhire said.

The names on that list are tentative for a couple of reasons:

• One is Liriano, who has yet to throw live batting practice to hitters. His shoulder tendinitis has him missing at least the first turn through the Twins’ spring rotation.
• Two is Baker, who threw to hitters for the first time Friday and came through the session well. He will do the same Sunday, and if that also goes well, he’ll pitch in Tuesday’s game. Baker has been dealing with soreness in his right elbow after offseason surgery to remove bone chips.

  After throwing on Friday, Baker said, “Every now and then I’ll have (a pitch) that will kind of feel a little funny.” He credited that to an increased extension in his elbow. For now that increased range of motion will take some getting used to, but eventually Baker — who threw all of his pitches Friday, including a half-dozen changeups, the pitch that previously bothered him the

  most — is confident it will make him a better pitcher.

  “I feel like I’m able to get out front more consistently, and that’s always a good thing for pitchers,” Baker said. “(That helps with) finishing your pitches and it allows you to keep the ball down in the zone.”

  Wart sidelines Cuddyer: Michael Cuddyer sat out Friday’s workout because of a wart on the bottom of his left foot that has caused him increased pain, Gardenhire said. Cuddyer developed the issue over the winter and tried to treat the wart with an over-the-counter medication that backfired and resulted in an infection.

  Cuddyer spent Friday soaking his foot and told Gardenhire he doesn’t think the wart will be an issue today. If it is, though, Gardenhire said Cuddyer likely will have to have it removed and then could miss a handful of days recovering.

  Gardenhire was somewhat bemused at Cuddyer’s decision to treat the wart himself this winter.

  “He should have seen a doctor from the get-go,” Gardenhire said, “but you know how you try to do things yourself.”

  No spring training? Rick Stelmaszek’s recovery from surgery to repair a detached retina in his right eye isn’t going as quickly as the Twins initially thought, leading to the possibility he might not make it to spring training.

  “We’re kind of on hold with him,” Gardenhire said of his bullpen coach, who is entering his 31st season with the Twins. “The concern is that he comes down here, gets in the sun and we have issues and it even goes into a longer period of time. Whether he comes to spring training right now we’re not positive. We are going to make sure we take care of his eye, make sure he takes care of it. It’s about doing the right thing.”