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Nick Punto

8/16/2006

Punto sat out Tuesday's game with a bruised knee.

7/24/2006

Punto went 2-for-4 Sunday, extending his career-high hitting streak to 15 games.

1/25/2006

Punto and the Minnesota Twins avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $690,000 contract on Tuesday. The 28-year-old took over the second base job early in the season and batted .239 with 18 doubles, six home runs, 13 stolen bases and 26 RBIs in 112 games.

7/4/2005

The injury-riddled Minnesota Twins got a key infielder back from the disabled list over the weekend, as Punto returned from a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old infielder missed exactly a month. He will take over at second base for the Twins, who had Michael Cuddyer go on the disabled list for a bruised left hand this weekend. Rookie Luis Rodriguez is expected to take over at third for Cuddyer.

6/28/2005

Out since early June with a hamstring injury, Punto passed a key test Monday when he ran the bases at full speed. The Twins' middle infielder will begin a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday. If all goes well, he could return to the Twins this weekend or Monday, when the club kicks off a road trip in Anaheim against the Angels.

6/3/2005

On Friday, the Minnesota Twins placed Punto on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled right hamstring. To replace Punto, who was batting .293 with a homer and eight RBI in 37 games, the Twins recalled infielder Terry Tiffee from Triple-A Rochester.

6/2/2005

Punto left Minnesota's 4-3 win over Cleveland Thursday in the eighth inning, after pulling his right hamstring. The Twins' second baseman came off the field limping when he was caught stealing in the seventh.

6/1/2005

Punto's primary competition for playing time at second base, Luis Rivas, has gone on the 15-day disabled list with an oblique strain. But Punto has been getting most of the playing time for the Twins anyway. He's in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak in which he's a .357 hitter. For the season, Punto is at .292 with a .346 on-base percentage in 132 plate appearances. He has scored 17 runs in 36 games.

5/20/2005

Punto has been bothered by a sore right calf muscle, which has kept him out of the Minnesota lineup and may force him onto the disabled list. The 27-year-old Punto hasn't played since Sunday. Luis Rivas has been starting at second base in his place.

4/29/2005

Punto's bat has been better of late, with the middle infielder going 6-for-16 (.375) over Minnesota's last four contests, and he may be supplanting Luis Rivas as the Twins' second baseman. Punto has started at second the last two days, with Rivas mired in a 2-for-22 slump.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire clearly likes Punto as a player, and was favoring him in the battle for the shortstop job going into spring training. Jason Bartlett deserved to start at short, but Rivas has stagnated as a player. He arrived as a 21-year-old prospect in 2000, but has shown little improvement since he was a rookie. It's understandable that the Twins are looking at other options for second base.