The Twins placed third baseman Trevor Plouffe on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a bruised right thumb and recalled Danny Valencia from Class AAA Rochester.

Plouffe, who hasn't played since July 20, was written into the lineup Friday but was scratched after feeling more pain in the thumb during batting practice.

Valencia batted .250 with seven homers and 37 RBI in 69 games for Rochester.

"It's a natural move," Twins GM Terry Ryan said. "It's an opportunity for Danny. Sometimes when an opportunity arises, you take advantage of it just like Plouffe did."

Tonight's game

The Twins are anxious to turn the page after getting completely outclassed earlier this week in Chicago by the White Sox. Scott Diamond returns to the mound Friday night, as Minnesota opens a three-game series against Cleveland.

Diamond was 7-3 with a 2.62 ERA in his first 12 starts, but he went 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his past two starts, against the Orioles and Royals.

After placing Anthony Swarzak on the 15-day disabled list with a right shoulder injury, the Twins will have another new guy out in the bullpen tonight, in righthander Luis Perdomo. A Dominican native, Perdomo who spent parts of 2009 and 2010 with the Padres, Perdomo was terrific in a recent stretch at Class AAA Rochester’s closer, posting a 0.92 ERA with seven saves in 11 appearances.

The Indians actually signed Perdomo out of the Dominican in 2003, and he was with them until 2008, when the Giants took him in the Rule 5 draft.

As colleague Patrick Reusse notes, Perdomo will be the 24th pitcher used by the Twins this year, not counting Drew Butera.

Cleveland is coming off a huge win, after coming back from a 3-1 seventh-inning deficit against Justin Verlander to defeat the Tigers 5-3 on Thursday night. Indians starter Josh Tomlin is a control specialist (1.7 BB/9) who gave up five runs on 10 hits over six innings in a 7-4 loss to the Twins at Target Field on June 2.

INDIANS (50-49)

1. Shin-Soo Choo, RF

2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS

3. Jason Kipnis, 2B

4. Michael Brantley, CF

5. Carlos Santana, 1B

6. Travis Hafner, DH

7. Jose Lopez, 3B

8. Shelley Duncan, LF

9. Lou Marson, C

Starting pitcher: RH Josh Tomlin (5-7, 5.34 ERA)

TWINS (40-58)

1. Denard Span, CF

2. Ben Revere, RF

3. Joe Mauer, C

4. Josh Willingham, LF

5. Justin Morneau, 1B

6. Ryan Doumit, DH

7. Brian Dozier, SS

8. Jamey Carroll, 3B

9. Alexi Casilla, 2B

Starting pitcher: LH Scott Diamond (8-4, 3.16 ERA)

Target Field. First pitch: 7:10 p.m. TV: FSN. Twins Radio Network

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