Workhorse Willingham out of Twins' lineup

MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins manager Ron Gardenhire left Josh Willingham out of the lineup on Saturday afternoon at Target Field.

The 35-year-old right fielder has been a workhorse since returning from the disabled list on May 26. He's played in every game since then, and his most recent day off was June 12, when the team flew to Detroit.

"It's been three or four days we've talked about trying to give him a blow," Gardenhire said. "He needs a blow.

"He's been playing great defense and swinging well for us. But you have to remember: He's not the youngest guy in the world. He needs a break every once in a while."

Willingham hasn't been very productive in recent games. He's just 2-for-18 since the beginning of the Boston series on Monday. He also let a ball bounce off his glove for a triple against the White Sox on Friday night, a play that helped Chicago rally to tie the game in the ninth inning.

But Gardenhire said the day off is not related to Willingham's play.

"He's pretty excited about it, to tell you the truth," Gardenhire said. "We have to be guarded with him. We've played a lot of baseball, and I don't want to beat him up too much. He's healthy. We want to keep it that way."