Cuban defector finally shows stuff

First baseman Juan Diaz is making the most of a long-awaited opportunity to play in the Twins farm system.

Signed during the offseason, Diaz was invited to major league camp, which would have given him an opportunity to show he could be called up in an emergency.

But he never got out of the Dominican Republic because of visa problems. Diaz's agent told the Twins that his client, originally a Cuban defector, would have no problems traveling to the U.S.

But there were problems. Four months worth of them.

"It was a different type of visa, being that he was from Cuba," said Jim Rantz, the Twins director of minor leagues.

Diaz worked out while his paperwork was sorted out. For a while, the chances of him joining the organization this season were slim. But he was cleared to travel last month, went to Fort Myers, Fla., to get in shape and was shipped to Class AAA Rochester, N.Y.

Through 33 games, the 30-year old Diaz was batting 298 with 10 homers and 23 RBI. Not shabby for a latecomer.

"He's really done a nice job." Rantz said. "Too bad we didn't get him into major league spring training camp."

Protecting pitching

That's by design, as the club tries to go slow with high school and college pitchers who were worn out during the school season.

"Some guys have already thrown 140 innings [before arriving]," Rantz said.

Ten pitchers at Elizabethton have started a game. The same approach is used for the Gulf Coast League affiliate rookie league team in Fort Myers.

Span is back

The Twins thought they would only get him for a couple of weeks, but he healed quickly. The club has assigned him to the rookie league team in Fort Myers to get some rehab games in before they proceed. Span was the club's first round pick in 2002.

System check

• Lefthander Carlos Pulido will have shoulder surgery Tuesday in the Twin Cities.

• Righthander Peter Fisher, who has missed all season because of shoulder surgery, is close to returning.

• After not making an error for the first half of the season, Class AA New Britain infielder Luis Maza has made five.