Thielbar sidelined with groin discomfort

MINNEAPOLIS -- Rookie reliever Caleb Thielbar is experiencing groin discomfort and is expected to be held out of action for the next few games, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Saturday.

Thielbar has been one of the club's most consistent relievers since making his big league debut on May 20. The left-hander has a 0.83 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. The Randolph, Minn. native has posted 21 strikeouts and has surrendered nine walks and just seven hits.

Right-handed reliever Jared Burton is expected to see an increased workload in Thielbar's absence, as he's bounced back from his struggles in June. Burton has recorded seven straight scoreless appearances to lower his ERA from 4.29 to 3.59 in 42 2/3 innings.

But right-hander Casey Fien will remain the club's top setup man for closer Glen Perkins, as he's working on a stretch of 10 straight scoreless outings entering Saturday.

"Casey is doing fantastic, and now we're getting stronger with Jared getting back out there," Gardenhire said. "Thielbar has a little bit of a tweaked groin, so we'll have to back off him for a few days. But those three have been throwing really well."