The spot became available Saturday when it was announced that outfielder Lew Ford will fly back to the Twin Cities this week to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will miss four to six weeks.

"It's just another opportunity for somebody else," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We don't want to see Lew hurt, but now that he is, people ought to take notice out there in the clubhouse. They ought to go out there and try two times as hard."

Ford has been dealing with pain in his knee since the first week of spring. Last week Ford received a cortisone shot in the hope that reducing the inflammation in his knee would cause the soreness to disappear.

But after Ford had to cut short yet another running session Friday, the decision was finally made to go through with the procedure to fix the slight tear in his right meniscus.

With Ford out until at least mid-April, the Twins now will rely on Jason Tyner to be their primary backup outfielder. Fortunately for the club, depth in the outfield isn't a concern. The Twins also have Jason Kubel, who is expected to be the club's starting designated hitter, as an option in the outfield now that his knees have proven to be healthy this spring.

Instead, the extra bench spot could now allow the Twins a tad more flexibility to go with 12 pitchers on the roster. While Gardenhire has made clear his preference to go with 11 pitchers, opening up an extra bench spot, the team could be forced to go with 12 arms if they want to keep prospect J.D. Durbin, who is out of options.

With Ford in the mix, that option seemed nearly impossible as it would leave the team with just four open bench spots. Catcher Mike Redmond, infielder Jeff Cirillo and Tyner were all locks, but the team could also use a backup middle infielder. Minnesota entered Spring Training looking to find a backup for shortstop Jason Bartlett, but so far this spring, the team has been unable to find a strong candidate.

Rule 5 Draft pick Alejandro Machado has been sidelined for almost the entire spring with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Machado injured the shoulder playing in winter ball and competed in just six games there. The infielder/outfielder completed a rehabilitation program and arrived at camp saying he was healthy, but it didn't take long for the Twins to discover Machado's inability to throw normally. Though Machado has progressed to some fielding drills, Gardenhire said he remains a long way from being ready.

News and features:

• Mauer lifts Twins to win over Bucs in finale

• Twins notes: Mauer shines in return to lineup

• Ortiz nearly flawless in Twins' loss

• Twins notes: Mauer, Punto to return Saturday

• Twins notes: Silva's sinker get results

• Twins set roster as D-backs claim Durbin

Multimedia:

• Spring Training recap gallery

• Twins vs. Yankees photo gallery

• Thesier on Santana, Ponson 

• Twins scrimmage Concordia University

• Jim Rantz on Garza, Slowey  

• Scribe LaVelle Neal on Twins rotation 

Spring Training info:
• MLB.com coverage  |  Schedule  |  Ballpark  |  Tickets

Gardenhire had said last weekend that the 2006 Twins Minor League Player of the Year, infielder Alexi Casilla, would not be considered an option for a bench spot with the parent club. The switch-hitting Casilla is expected to be the team's starting second baseman of the future, and the club wants him to play everyday at Triple-A Rochester rather than sitting the bench. But the Twins' lingering injuries have the skipper changing his tune slightly.

"Our preference is to let him play more," Gardenhire said of Casilla. "But you know what? He's out there playing now. He's hitting the ball all over the place [Casilla is hitting .278 through nine games] and he has a lot of tools, so he's definitely an option."

Beyond Casilla, the club's options are very limited, although Luis Rodriguez has been making a strong case for a roster spot once again. Rodriguez has shown an ability to be a strong pinch-hitter and even delivered two home runs in the Twins' 8-7 loss to the Dodgers at Vero Beach on Friday before delivering a walk-off, extra-inning single in Saturday's win over the Devil Rays. But despite the effort at the plate and an ability to play a few infield spots, Rodriguez lacks the speed and range to play shortstop.

So for now, the Twins are forced to play a wait-and-see approach with just how the infield situation will play out.

"It's the same scenario," Gardenhire said. "It is what it is. Where we're at right now is stuck in the middle with you."