Joe Mauer is eager to play, and Nike has sent him shoes and orthotics that might make his bruised left heel comfortable enough to play through, but manager Ron Gardenhire is reluctant to put his star back in the lineup before he’s completely healed.

“You can’t let it linger on, and you can’t let him get back out there and then all the sudden reinjure it,” Gardenhire said Wednesday.

The reigning American League MVP hasn’t played since April 30, when he bruised his left heel trying to leg out a grounder during the Twins’ 9-3 victory at Cleveland. He’s been diagnosed with a deep soft-tissue bruise.

“I want to be out there, today, but you have to be smart about it, too,” the catcher said. View full post on Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Minnesota Twins News