Twins give Carson nod over Parmelee for promotion

SEATTLE - With Chris Parmelee dominating the competition at Class AAA Rochester, the Twins had a chance to promote him, but instead, they chose his 31-year-old Red Wings teammate, Matt Carson.

Assistant General Manager Rob Antony said the team wasn't sure how much playing time the new arrival would get, since outfielders Denard Span (sore collarbone) and Ben Revere (sore ankle) are day-to-day.

Span and Revere were out Friday, so Carson made his first major league appearance since 2010, starting in right field. His single drove in the Twins' first run in the fifth inning of a 5-3 loss.

"If it was a situation where we knew he was going to play every day, we would have obviously considered Parmelee more," Antony said. "But right now, there's a situation where we get a chance to see Carson. When Denard's ready to go, you've got [Josh] Willingham and Revere and everybody healthy and out there, then it's going to be a little tougher."

Parmelee, 24, is batting .346 with 16 homers, 42 RBI and a 1.140 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage) for Rochester. He saw sporadic playing time with the Twins earlier this season, batting only .204 with a .607 OPS.

Parmelee has played exclusively first base for Rochester, but Antony said the Twins still believe he is a potential fit for them in right field. Parmelee is a likely September callup, and Antony said there would be more chances to rest regulars such as Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer.

"We're going to discuss all the players, and there's going to be a plan in place," Antony said. "We're not going to bring guys up just to sit around for a month."

Carson has been a mainstay in Rochester's lineup, playing primarily right field and batting .277 with 14 homers, 49 RBI and a .785 OPS in 110 games.

"Spending a couple of years in the minor leagues, you question if [a big league promotion's] ever going to happen again," Carson said. "So this late in the season, to get the call was a treat, and I'm excited to help the team out."

Tosoni removed from 40-man roster

To make room on their 40-man roster for Carson, the Twins outrighted outfielder Rene Tosoni, keeping him at Class AA after passing him through waivers.

Tosoni, 26, played 60 games for the Twins last year, hitting five home runs. But after starting this year in Class AAA, he got demoted to Class AA. In 75 minor league games entering Friday, he was batting .218 with three homers, 20 RBI and a .613 OPS.

"The guy has ability; he can swing," Antony said. "He's just had a bad year."

Sticking with Rochester The Twins signed a two-year extension to keep their Class AAA affiliate in Rochester, N.Y., through at least 2014. The Red Wings went 49-95 and 53-91 the past two seasons, and the chances of Rochester re-signing with the Twins didn't look too good when the Red Wings were 37-45 at the end of June.

But Rochester is an International League-best 28-16 since July 1. Now the sides have an extended an agreement that dates to 2003.

"We're thrilled because No. 1, it's a good baseball city," Antony said. "But overriding everything else, they have great ownership, they have good people, and they treat our players extremely well. It's a great stadium, they have good fans, so we're very happy."

Etc.
• Carl Pavano's right shoulder felt good in his second minor league rehab start Thursday, and the line looked good -- three scoreless innings, two hits, no walks, two strikeouts for Class A Fort Myers -- but his fastball averaged 84-85 miles per hour.

• Anthony Swarzak returned to his long-relief role after missing 20 games because of a mild rotator cuff strain, pitching in Friday's game. "Hopefully I can just pick right back up where I left off and continue to pound the zone," Swarzak said. "I'm excited. I can't wait to compete. You get addicted to the lights, you know?"

• Pitching coach Rick Anderson was away from the Twins because of a personal matter, so third base coach Steve Liddle handled those duties, and bench coach Scott Ullger moved to third.