Tsuyoshi

Nishioka

Nishioka is feeling better and could be available to pinch-run, but he hasn’t progressed far enough to return to the starting lineup. He’s been dealing with an oblique issue since late August.

It’s simply a procedural move, as the Twins ruled Nishioka out for the season over a week ago. He wound up with a hideous .226/.278/.249 batting line in his first season in the states.

Ryan recently acknowledged that Nishioka could start the season at Triple-A, but adding some versatility to his resume could help his chances of being useful at the major league level. The 27-year-old batted just .226/.278/.249 with zero homers, 19 RBI and a .527 OPS over 240 plate appearances in his first year stateside.

Nishioka hasn’t played since Friday due to a sprained left pinkie finger. The 27-year-old is batting .278 (5-for-18) this spring as he battles for a backup infielder job.

It’s a surprising move, but the Triple-A level is exactly where Nishioka belongs. The 27-year-old Japanese infielder batted just .226/.278/.249 in 240 plate appearances last year and was 6-for-25 with one extra-base hit this spring. He’s owed $3 million in each of the next two seasons.

Twins GM Terry Ryan acknowledged Thursday that the Japanese import could start the year at Triple-A, and it sounds like that might be his most likely destination. Though he’s set to make $3 million, Neal notes that Nishioka can’t be counted on as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement, so he doesn’t really make sense as a bench player and will be better off playing regularly at Triple-A. The 27-year-old is coming off a rookie season where he batted just .226/.278/.249.

So, evidently nothing has changed since last season. Nishioka entered camp in competition for a bench role, but it’s looking like he’ll start the year at Triple-A. He’s owed $3 million each of the next two years and it doesn’t appear he’ll be ridding himself of the “bust” label anytime soon.

Nishioka is due a salary of $3 million in each of the next two seasons, but he batted just .226/.278/.249 in his first taste of the majors last year while showing very little potential on defense. The Twins are far from loaded in the middle infield so he should crack the Opening Day roster. But Nishioka might ultimately prove to be nothing more than a minor league-level player.

It’s essentially the same thing recently departed GM Bill Smith said last month. Nishioka is due $3 million each of the next two seasons, so he’s guaranteed a spot on the roster, but after posting a .226/.278/.249 batting line in his first season in the states, he’ll have to really turn things around in order to regain a starting spot.

Like the situation with Nick Blackburn, the move clears Nishioka from the 40-man roster. It also means that he cleared waivers. The 28-year-old infielder has been a huge bust stateside, posting a .215/.267/.236 batting line in 254 plate appearances while committing 14 errors. He’s still owed $3 million next season while his contract includes a $4 million club option for 2014 or a $250,000 buyout.