TWINS MINOR LEAGUE REPORT: Pitcher Durbin sits with injury to shoulder

The Twins organization will be holding its breath concerning the health of top pitching prospect J.D. Durbin, who had to miss his scheduled start Friday for Class AA New Britain.

Durbin, 2-0 with a 2.08 earned-run average, couldn't complete his bullpen session between starts because of pain in his right shoulder.

"He's experiencing some discomfort, so we will skip him a start," said Jim Rantz, Twins director of minor league operations. "We're hoping it's just tendinitis and that the rest will help him."

If the problem persists, the Twins will have Durbin undergo a magnetic resonance imaging test for a closer look.

The 6-foot-2 right-hander was the team's second-round draft pick in 2000 and has a 33-11 record in the minor leagues since joining the organization. Durbin was impressive in spring training and made a bid to become the team's fifth starter, but the Twins wanted to exercise patience and have the 22-year-old develop a changeup.

Durbin split last season between Class A Fort Myers and New Britain. After going 9-2 with a 3.09 ERA with the Miracle, Durbin was promoted to AA and went 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA.

In six starts this year, Durbin has 35 strikeouts with nine walks in 34 2/3 innings.

Curse at third base: The Twins have had a rough time keeping their third basemen healthy throughout the organization.

Corey Koskie is on the 15-day disabled list with a sternum injury, opening up an opportunity for Michael Cuddyer to play every day in the big leagues.

Class AAA third baseman Terry Tiffee missed five weeks with a back injury before returning to the lineup on Tuesday. Tiffee was off to a great start for Rochester, slugging three home runs and driving in nine runs in the first week of the season before being sidelined.

Matt Moses, the Twins' first-round pick last June who plays third base for Class A Quad Cities, had to be brought to the Twin Cities for tests this weekend on his injured back.

Moses, 19, suffered a back sprain during his high school career in Richmond, Va.

Scary moment: Outfield prospect Jason Kubel received a scare Thursday when he was hit in the head by a pitch against the Portland Sea Dogs. Kubel was able to stay in the game for one inning before departing with dizziness.

The Twins hope the injury isn't serious enough to keep Kubel, who leads the Eastern League with a .388 batting average, out of the lineup for any significant amount of time.

Briefly: Class A center fielder Denard Span, the team's first-round pick in 2002, raised his batting average from .194 to .259 last week. The key to improving his play has been his ability to put the ball in play and use his speed.

Michael Restovich, a Class AAA outfielder from Rochester, Minn., hit for the cycle on May 8. Restovich collected the single, double, triple and home run in order. He also drove in five runs.

Jason Bartlett, the Twins' top middle infield prospect, will be out four to six weeks with a broken left wrist after being hit by a pitch last week. Bartlett was hitting .339 with eight doubles, four triples and a home run.