FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Jesse Crain didn't get the opportunity to close for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

But for Crain, the role he's really been seeking this spring is to be the setup man to Twins closer Joe Nathan.

Minnesota came into the spring looking to find the primary eighth-inning reliever it was lacking last season, and so far, Crain has been giving the club reason to believe he's the right fit for the role.

The right-hander has been dominant in his early outings, both for Canada in Classic play and in the Twins' Grapefruit League contests. He's recorded nine strikeouts in his seven combined innings of work, and Crain's allowed just three of the 24 batters he's faced to reach base -- giving up two hits and walking one.

"I've felt comfortable out there all spring," Crain said. "I just want to keep it going -- to keep it consistent and not get out of that. That's what I've been working on. I think the results have shown what I've been working on and the changes I made in the offseason."

Crain helped fill the eighth-inning role in 2008, but it was his first season back following right shoulder surgery in May '07 to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff.

With Crain coming off the surgery, the Twins used him cautiously while trying to make sure he stayed healthy. By August, Crain was starting to show signs of fatigue and saw his slider start to flatten out.

Still, the right-hander was able to get through the entire season, posting a 3.59 ERA over 66 appearances.

But while Crain was pleased in making it through the year, this spring has allowed him to finally feel what it's like to be fully rested and healthy. It's a much different feeling than last spring, when Crain was already a bit worn down after pushing himself all winter just to get back on the mound.

A year ago, Crain's primary focus was on making sure he could stay healthy the entire season. But now, entering his second year back from surgery and with health concerns all behind him, Crain is focused on other things.

"I just wanted to get better this year and to be the pitcher that I know I can be," Crain said. "Last year was just a stepping stone. This year, I'm here to do what I know I can do."

Crain made a slight adjustment to his pitching delivery this winter, picking his leg up higher in order to hide the ball. He said that change has helped to get his hands out in front of his body, which, in turn, has him keeping the ball down in the zone more consistently than he did last year.

The right-hander also added a "slurve," a pitch that's a mix of a curveball and slider.

Crain said he began working on the pitch in September after his slider had lost some of its nasty bite and began looking more like a cut fastball. The slurve worked initially due to its different speed -- low-80's compared to his mid-90's fastball -- but Crain said the extra time to work on it this winter and spring have made it an even more effective pitch.

"When my slider stopped breaking, I didn't really have a strike three or a swing-and-miss pitch," Crain said. "With this pitch, I can get guys leaning out and missing. It's just worked real well."

Crain has made another change this spring that he feels has helped him on the mound -- he's backed off his caffeine intake.

"For whatever reason last year, I would have a Red Bull, a Slam and some coffee, and then I was too jittery," Crain said. "My heart would flutter out there on the mound, and I thought, 'What am I doing?' I realized I didn't need all that stuff. Without it, I'm just more relaxed, and I think it shows on the mound as well."

With Pat Neshek out for the entire 2009 season following elbow surgery, the Twins will look to Crain as one of their top options for the setup job. Matt Guerrier, Jose Mijares and Luis Ayala are also expected to be in the mix for the job. But so far, Crain has stood out with Mijares struggling and Ayala away.

Twins pitching coach Rick Anderson has always believed Crain would eventually find his way back to the setup role.

When fans were questioning Anderson about the eighth-inning job during the Twins' Winter Caravan this past January, he reminded them not to forget about Crain. He was convinced that in Crain's second year after surgery, the pitcher would start to look more like the dominant late-inning reliever he was pre-surgery.

And so far this spring, Anderson said the flame-throwing righty has only given him more reason to believe that will be true.

"This is the best I've seen him throw in a long time," Anderson said. "It's fun to see."