Colabello gets rare respite in Game 1

MINNEAPOLIS -- With a doubleheader against the Dodgers on Thursday, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire gave Chris Colabello a break in Game 1, as he started on the bench for the first time since April 2.

Colabello had an impressive April, hitting .295/.343/.484 while setting a club record with 27 RBIs in 24 games. But he went just 1-for-17 to end the month, and Gardenhire said it'll be up to Colabello to make adjustments as the season goes along.

"There are going to be a lot of adjustments from other teams and what they've seen from him," Gardenhire said. "There's a lot of old information from last year, but now that we're a month in, they'll start using the new information this year. It all starts coming together where you have enough info from the first three weeks to a month of this season where you can forget about last season."

Gardenhire, though, said he believes Colabello can build off April, as he's improved as a hitter since 2013, when he hit .194 with seven homers and 17 RBIs as a rookie. Colabello has made a few mechanical adjustments, and he also stands closer to the plate this year. But teams have more scouting reports on Colabello this season, and Gardenhire believes teams will try to use that to their advantage going forward.

"Advanced scouts are going to be looking and tell you, 'This is what this guy did,'" Gardenhire said. "They didn't really have a plan because he was killing everything early in the season. But once you start making outs, they'll see that. So he'll have to adjust. He was out of the zone a little bit too much last night. But he's doing just fine, and he'll be just fine. He's a different hitter than last year. I believe that."

With Colabello out of the lineup, Sam Fuld got the start in right field while Josmil Pinto served as designated hitter in the first game of the twin bill.