Pelfrey struggles again as Twins fall to Red Sox

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Mike Pelfrey is feeling good about his accelerated rehabilitation from reconstructive elbow surgery. Now, he needs to get the results he wants.

Pelfrey gave up five runs in his fourth spring training outing, and the Minnesota Twins lost to the Boston Red Sox 7-3 Thursday.

The big right-hander, who signed a one-year, $4-million contract with the Twins after five full big league seasons with the New York Mets, gave up six hits in just two innings.

“I fell behind in the count a lot,” Pelfrey said. “That’s what’s going to happen when you do that. I put myself in a lot of bad spots. I didn’t make quality pitches. When you don’t do that, you’re not going to get results.”

Pelfrey had Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow on May 1. Typical rehabilitations from the surgery take about a full year. Pelfrey said he pushed his rehab in order to be ready for the regular season April 1.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he had no concerns with Pelfrey, who has a 7.45 spring ERA.

“All I know is he’s ready to go,” Gardenhire said. “He’s ahead of the curve. He’s throwing great. It’s nothing to do with the surgery and everything to do with throwing the baseball. He hasn’t been out there in 10 months. So he just has to find it. But I have no concerns. None.”

Also Thursday, the Twins sent pitching Kyle Gibson to Triple AAA Rochester.

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