They’ll attempt to withstand the potential absences Tuesday night when they open a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Metrodome.

The Twins are expected to activate Glen Perkins (1-3, 5.36 ERA) from the disabled list to start Tuesday’s series opener.

The left-hander has been sidelined with elbow inflammation since May 18, when he lasted just two-thirds of an inning while giving up six runs and seven hits - including two homers - in a 7-6 loss at the New York Yankees. He was 0-2 with a 9.39 ERA in his final five starts before landing on the DL.

Perkins showed strong improvement during his second rehabilitation start at Class-A Fort Myers last Tuesday, yielding two hits with four strikeouts and a walk in seven shutout innings to get the victory.

Pittsburgh will turn to Paul Maholm (4-2, 3.61), who has helped the team win four of his last five starts with all of the victories coming on the road. He’s 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA in those five outings.

The left-hander didn’t get a decision despite turning in one of his best performances of the season in Thursday’s 3-1 win at Atlanta. He yielded one unearned run and four hits with a season-high eight strikeouts in seven innings.

Maholm has made only one start against the Twins - on June 17, 2006 - allowing three runs and five hits in seven innings while not getting a decision in a 5-3 loss at Pittsburgh.

Jesse Crain's season-long woes continued in dramatic fashion in Sunday's loss to the Cubs when the reliever came in with the game tied 2-2. He gave up two hits, an intentional walk and then a walk-off single to end the Twins' chance at a sweep.

After the game, manager Ron Gardenhire was asked if the issue for Crain, owner of an 8.15 ERA in 23 appearances this season, is confidence.

"(It's about) losing games, not confidence. It's about games, winning baseball games," Gardenhire said. "You try to find the right situation to put him in ballgames, but when you get to this point there's no right situation.

"He's got to go out and get outs. Our bullpen's dying out there, and he's the guy who's got to go out and get somebody out, and it didn't happen. It just didn't work."

Crain has pitched 17 2/3 innings this season, and his ineffectiveness has led Gardenhire to be very selective about when to give the 27-year-old the ball. But Sunday, Gardenhire said he didn't have a choice.

"Our bullpen's taxed as far as the late-inning guys," he said. "Matt Guerrier's thrown I don't how many days in a row. Too many, let's put it that way. Luis (Ayala) has been throwing an awful lot and (Jose) Mijares has been out there about every stinking game, (Sean) Henn's been up for one or two batters for every stinking game."

NOTES, QUOTES

--RHP Matt Guerrier's 2008 ineffectiveness was so directly tied to overuse, the team believes, that manager Ron Gardenhire has said several times this season that he is intent on not tiring out the middle reliever. But because of some ineffectiveness elsewhere in the bullpen, Guerrier was once again tied through Sunday's games for the most appearances by an American League reliever with 32.

--RHP Anthony Swarzak's seven shutout innings on Saturday marked his second such start of the season for the big-league club. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Swarzak is the only rookie in the majors to throw seven or more shutout innings twice this season.

--INF Matt Tolbert started at third base on Sunday, but with Michael Cuddyer and Denard Span both absent, he was also the team's backup outfielder. Tolbert led off and had little success -- he went 0-for-4 with a walk.

BY THE NUMBERS: 712 -- Number of hits C Joe Mauer had through his 600th major league game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau only six other active players (Ichiro Suzuki, Vladimir Guerrero, Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Carl Crawford and Jose Reyes) had more hits in their first 600 games.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He got the game ball. (Michael Cuddyer) threw him the game ball, and now he's taking it with him to Rochester." -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire after RHP Anthony Swarzak threw seven shutout innings against the Cubs and was then sent down to Class AAA. "As tough as it is, I am so proud of him for coming up here and doing what he did today."

ROSTER REPORT

--CF Carlos Gomez's double and home run in Sunday's loss marked his first game with more than one extra base hit since last September, and his first home run since last September. Gomez said he's been working at picking his pitch during at-bats rather than swing at offerings out of the strike zone. He's batting .227 with a .285 on-base percentage this season.

--INF Nick Punto has hit safely in three straight games since coming back from the disabled list (groin strain). Punto has moved from shortstop to second base and over the weekend went 5-for-10. He's now batting .211 with a .308 on-base percentage this season.

--1B Justin Morneau's .329 batting average ranks fourth among all qualified AL hitters, but the first baseman's hot bat in May has cooled in June. Last month Morneau batted .361 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs. This month he's hitting .283 with two homers and seven RBIs.

--RHP Scott Baker allowed two runs in seven innings on Sunday in Chicago, marking the eighth time in 12 starts that he's pitched at least six innings. Baker is 4-6 with a 5.30 ERA this season but is 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA in three starts this month.

MEDICAL WATCH:

OF Michael Cuddyer (inflamed right index finger) did not play June 14 and was scheduled to see a doctor.

3B Joe Crede (lower back stiffness) did not play June 14. He is day-to-day.

CF Denard Span (dizziness) left the June 9 game, and he didn't play June 10-14. He was undergoing tests to determine what caused the problem.

LHP Glen Perkins (left elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list May 19. He threw a bullpen session May 31, and he began a rehab assignment with Class A Fort Myers on June 4. He is expected to be activated June 16.

RHP Boof Bonser (torn right labrum and rotator cuff surgery in February 2009) went on the 15-day disabled list April 2. He is out for the season.