Back in March, we learned that the Twins made right handed pitcher Kevin Slowey available after they selected Scott Baker as their fifth starter. Since the team didn’t find a taker for Slowey at the time, they decided to make him a reliever.

Slowey though, has been struggling this season as a reliever posting a 4.91 ERA in 14.2 innings throughout six relief appearances. According to La Velle E. Neal III Slowey looks headed to Triple-A Rochester to stretch out as a starter, but probably to audition for another team.

Manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson met with the right hander over the weekend about his role on the club, and Gardenhire believes the best thing is to find Slowey a place to start.

“I honestly think the right thing [is to let Slowey start somewhere], and that’s what we’re trying to talk about now,” Gardenhire said on a radio show on 1500ESPN. “We talked with Kevin, we’re going to talk with Billy [Smith, Twins GM] when we get home and try to figure out the right thing for Kevin to make sure he keeps his arm in good shape and all those things.”

Slowey told Gardenhire during the meeting that it’s tough for him to work coming out of the bullpen, and after Sunday’s game he suggested he might be better off elsewhere.

“I understand our situation here,” he said. “I understand the starters we have here, and I understand that, even given past successes as a starter, this might not be the right fit for me anymore.”

Image by mwlguide under the Creative Commons License.