Twins send second baseman Rivas to minors

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins optioned second baseman Luis Rivas to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday night, the first time he has been in the minors since being called up in 2000.

Once thought of as the Twins second baseman of the future, Rivas has yet to develop into the type of consistent hitter that the team could build the infield around.

With utility player Michael Cuddyer set to return from a rehabilitation assignment on Sunday, the team had to send somebody down, and Rivas was the odd man out after the team traded for second baseman Bret Boone during the All Star break.

"He needs to go play right now," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Luis needs to go down and get himself back on track. He's still a young player."

Rivas appeared to be coming around just before the break. He was hitting .417 (5-for-12) in his last 10 games to raise his average to .250.

But the Twins need Cuddyer's versatility -- he can play third base, first base, second base and in the outfield -- and want to see if Boone can snap out of his funk and more closely resemble the dangerous hitter he was in Seattle a few years ago.

"I'm sure Luis is not very happy. He's been in the big leagues for a long time," Gardenhire said. "Right now, he's the odd man out. We have to see if Boone can play."