Kyle Lohse improved to 10-2 with a 3.67 ERA for the Cardinals last night. Is he an All-Star? We’ll find out when the rosters are announced Sunday.

As Boston manager Terry Francona mulls over his AL roster, I have a suggestion: No matter how many AL closers are deserving, Joe Nathan should be there.

Sounds like a no-brainer, but this could be a dilemma. Here’s a look at the AL’s top closers:

Pitcher (Saves/Opportunities, ERA)
Francisco Rodriguez (32/34, 2.04)
George Sherrill (26/32, 3.68)
Jonathan Papelbon (24/28, 2.00)
Mariano Rivera (22/22, 0.74)
Joe Nathan (22/24, 1.34)
Joakim Soria (22/23, 1.25)
Bobby Jenks (18/21, 1.95)

The Twins are positioned strongly enough in the standings to justify multiple All-Star selections. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan all should get in.

Mauer is leading the voting at catcher, and deservedly so. Morneau trails Kevin Youkilis at first base, which shouldn’t be a problem because Morneau is the only other AL first baseman putting up All-Star numbers. (Pete D is right, Jason Giambi, too.)

Nathan’s situation is stickier because it’s tough to make a case for other Royals, beyond Soria, or other Orioles, beyond Sherrill. Remember, every team gets at least one selection.

K-Rod, Rivera and Papelbon are locks. Pap has blown four saves, but Francona is going to stick with his guys.

I think Francona should buck tradition and stockpile closers instead of starters. Who would you rather see pitch the fifth inning of a tie game, Nathan or … Mike Mussina? Here are the basic numbers of some of the top AL starters:

Pitcher (W-L, ERA)
Cliff Lee (11-1, 2.34)
Joe Saunders (11-4, 3.06)
Mike Mussina (10-6, 3.87)
Vicente Padilla (10-4, 4.13)
Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-1, 3.21)
Roy Halladay (9-6, 2.90)
Ervin Santana (9-3, 3.32)
Gavin Floyd (9-4, 3.45)
Andy Pettitte (9-5, 3.98)
Justin Duchscherer (8-5, 1.91 - Owen is right, bad omission there)
John Lackey (6-1, 1.44, after starting year on the DL)

That’s a pretty underwhelming list. Lee should get the start. After that, I’d take Dice-K, Halladay, Lackey, two or three others, and load up on closers.

After all, the All-Star Game “counts” now, at least for home-field advantage in the World Series. Most pitchers will be throwing one inning anyway. Might as well go with the league’s strengths and take Nathan, the ultimate one-inning specialist.

As longtime readers of this blog might remember, I was fixated on Kevin Slowey’s performances last season for Class AAA Rochester.

He was named International League Pitcher of the Year after going 10-5 with a 1.89 ERA with five complete games and one shutout. His strikeouts-to-walks were 107-to-18.

Slowey doesn’t have an overpowering fastball or one particular off-speed pitch that dazzles. When he tossed a complete-game victory over the Royals on May 29, extending their losing streak to 11 games, Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski mused:

His name is Slowey, for crying out loud. Unless the Royals find a pitcher named “Hangingcurvey” this was about as good a chance as they would get.

Posnanski, who might be the best in our whole business, would be quick to recognize now that Slowey is performing much the way his minor-league track record suggested he would. In his past four starts, Slowey is 3-0 with a 0.93 ERA.

All four starts were against NL teams: @ Milwaukee, Arizona, @ San Diego, Milwaukee. But try letting these combined numbers sink in for a moment: 29 IP, 3 ER, 2 BB, 24 K.

After his first major league shutout Sunday, Slowey was asked how it compared to the many dominant performances he had in the minors.

“Everybody’s a lot better,” he said. “They jump on your mistakes a lot more. But at the same time, the fielders behind you are much better. We made some great plays in center field. Something as a team we’re starting to get used to, and it’s almost unfair because [Carlos Gomez] makes highlight-reel catches every day.”

Note: Head to La Velle’s blog this afternoon for tonight’s starting lineups.

The Twins made it official, announcing that they will place Michael Cuddyer on the 15-day disabled list with a strained tendon in his left index finger and promote Denard Span from Class AAA Rochester.

Span will be at the Metrodome for Monday’s game against the Tigers.

The question now is how Span will be used. As a young player, the Twins want him to play regularly. I think he’ll get most of the starts in right field while Cuddyer is on the DL, but also spell Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young on occasion.

Alexi Casilla returns to the lineup today and Michael Cuddyer will have the strained tendon in his left index finger examined by doctors this morning.

On his Sunday radio show, Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire told KSTP AM-1500 that Mike Lamb will get the start at DH. Updates to come, but here’s the lineup, as Gardy relayed it to Reusse and Souhan:

Update (12 p.m.): It sounds like Cuddyer is heading to the DL. Gardy said Cuddyer’s injured finger feels the same as yesterday. In other words, no improvement. Gardy still needed to meet with GM Bill Smith, but it sounds like Cuddyer will go on the DL and the Twins will recall Denard Span.

Might get another update on Cuddyer before the game, after he meets with the doctor again. Otherwise, a move could be announced after the game.

“It looks like probably a DL,” Gardenhire said. “His hand is no better today. He’s pretty frustrated. But we still need to let the doctors look at him.”

Update (12:05 p.m.): MLB has sent the final All-Star voting update before the teams are announced next Sunday. From the press release:

Many of the American League races will hinge on the final days of balloting for the 79th All-Star Game, which will be played on Tuesday, July 15th at Yankee Stadium. Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Boston Red Sox teammates Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia and Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who is vying for the third starting outfield slot, cling to tight leads.

Mauer (1,632,338 votes), who has an edge for the second straight week, leads Boston’s Jason Varitek (1,487,390) by less than 145,000 votes. On the right side of the infield, the pair of Red Sox continues to hang on in their bids to make their Midsummer Classic debuts; Youkilis (1,915,376) is in front of Minnesota’s Justin Morneau (1,641,467) at first base and Pedroia (1,669,216) is outpacing Ian Kinsler (1,485,530) of the Texas Rangers at second.

Update (1:35 p.m.): Denard Span was pulled from Class AAA Rochester’s game today in the third inning and congratulated on his promotion to the big leagues. Looks like the roster move will happen after today’s Twins game.

Brewers (44-36)

1. Rickie Weeks, 2B

2. J.J. Hardy, SS

3. Ryan Braun, LF

4. Prince Fielder, DH

5. Corey Hart, RF

6. Russell Branyan, 1B

7. Bill Hall, 3B

8. Mike Cameron, CF

9. Jason Kendall, C

Starting pitcher: RH Ben Sheets

Twins (44-37)

1. Carlos Gomez, CF

2. Alexi Casilla, 2B

3. Joe Mauer, C

4. Justin Morneau, 1B

5. Jason Kubel, RF

6. Delmon Young, LF

7. Brian Buscher, 3B

8. Brendan Harris, SS

9. Mike Lamb, DH

Starting pitcher: RH Kevin Slowey

Metrodome. First pitch: 1:10 p.m.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said the team will know Sunday morning whether Michael Cuddyer needs to go on the disabled list with the strained tendon in his left index finger.

“How many days it’s going to be? We’re not positive,” Gardenhire said. “Doctors said if he comes in tomorrow, and he feels a little better, then we’ve got maybe two or three days. But if he comes in and he’s still really sore, we’re looking at probably a DL thing. So we’ll find out more tomorrow.”

Alexi Casilla, who has a strained middle finger on his left hand, will probably be back in the lineup Sunday to face Ben Sheets, Gardenhire said.

“Lexi should be fine,” Gardenhire said. He does have a little strain of the ligament, but doctors seem to think they can tape that thing together and he’ll be fine.”