Twins recall Darnell, option Polanco

MINNEAPOLIS -- With right-hander Kyle Gibson still dealing with lower back stiffness, the Twins recalled left-hander Logan Darnell from Triple-A Rochester to start against the White Sox on Saturday.

The Twins optioned infielder Jorge Polanco to Double-A New Britain to make room for Darnell after Friday's 9-5 loss to the White Sox. Polanco was recalled on Thursday, and he appeared in Friday's game as a defensive replacement at shortstop, going 0-for-1 with a strikeout.

Gibson played catch and threw off the mound on Friday, but he has yet to throw a bullpen session since feeling tightness in his back during his bullpen on Monday. Gibson was originally scheduled to start on Wednesday but saw his start pushed back to Saturday. The Twins have now set Tuesday as a target date for Gibson to return.

"He played a little catch today and felt fine," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow. He has to throw a bullpen. He can't just go out there and go. But today he played catch and did some throwing off the mound in tennis shoes. This is a young pitcher we think the world of so we're going to make sure we do everything right."

Darnell, 25, is making his second appearance with the Twins this season. He threw three hitless innings in relief against the Indians on May 6.

He's served as a starter the whole season at Rochester, posting a 3.43 ERA with 73 strikeouts and 40 walks in 94 1/3 innings. His last outing came on Sunday, when he gave up two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings against Norfolk.