Twins manager Ron Gardenhire admitted to being a little shaken up following a scary collision at the plate in the fourth inning of Saturday’s game with the Rays.

For the second time in the game, outfielder Jacque Jones collided with Rays catcher Dioner Navarro at home plate while trying to score on a ball hit to center field. While the two managed to get away unscathed the first time, Navarro wasn’t so lucky in the second attempt.

Navarro was on the ground for quite a long time before being lifted onto a cart and taken off the field with an injury to his left knee. At the time, Navarro looked to be in great pain.

“It just makes you sick to your stomach,” Gardenhire said. “He’s a really good player and a really good kid.I was worried about Jacque too. He had nowhere to go, [with Navarro] blocking the plate and on top of the plate. But it’s just scary to see collisions.”

Navarro turned out to be OK. X-rays on his left knee were negative and he was diagnosed with a nerve contusion — which the Rays said shouldn’t be too worrisome. As for Jones, he said he banged up his left knee on the play but that he was OK as well.

Certainly not what anyone wants to see in a Spring Training contest.

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— A couple of the Twins got some at-bats in Minor League contests on Saturday. J.J. Hardy went 0-for-2 with a walk in a game against the Orioles’ Class AAA Norfolk affiliate while playing four innings at shortstop and Jim Thome went 0-for-3 with an RBI in that game.
Justin Morneau went 3-for-4 in a game against the Orioles’ Class AA Bowie affiliate. The best news was that Gardenhire said all three players came away feeling good
physically

— Still no update on Joe Nathan. He’ll likely play catch on Sunday and when we get word about how it goes, I’ll pass it along.