First baseman Justin Morneau was scratched with a sore back and third baseman Joe Crede sat out with swollen right knuckles after getting hit by a pitch there Monday.

Outfielders Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer also were sidelined by minor medical issues, and center fielder Carlos Gomez took his pregnant wife to a doctor's appointment.

"We have a few issues here and there," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, adding that Cuddyer and Gomez were expected back Wednesday and Young on Thursday. "We're not going to push all of these guys. You give them a few days now, it's better later."

That left a starting outfield of Denard Span in center, Kubel in left and minor league prospect Chris Parmelee in right. Kubel connected against Jeff Karstens in the third. Span went 1-for-3, scored a run and also had an RBI. Parmelee, a first-round pick in the 2006 draft, went 1-for-4 and scored a run.

Buscher, subbing for Crede, went 3-for-3 with two walks and scored twice. Brock Peterson, already optioned to Triple-A Rochester, filled in for Morneau and went 0-for-3, drove in a run and scored.

Karstens, competing with Virgil Vasquez for the No. 5 spot in Pittsburgh's rotation, gave up five runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.

"With some of the hits they had, what can you do?" he said. "I got myself into a little bit of trouble in that third inning. Of everything I threw, nothing was really hit really that hard except for the home run."

Asked about his chances to make the team, Karstens, who has a 6.17 spring ERA, said he had no idea.

"It's all a blur," he said. "It's all a blur. We'll see what happens. Whatever they tell me - you're going to Pittsburgh or you're going to (Triple-A) Indianapolis - I've got to roll with it."

Nick Blackburn allowed two runs and three hits in five innings for Minnesota. He struck out two and walked one.

"I was pleased with it," said Blackburn, who has a 2.57 ERA this spring. His first start is set for April 10 in Chicago. "I was happy. I would take throwing like this when we get up to Chicago. If I'm throwing like that, I'll be fine."

Jack Wilson hit a two-run homer off Blackburn in the third.

Notes: The Twins optioned C Drew Butera and LHP Jose Mijares to Triple-A Rochester. They also reassigned INF Alejandro Machado to minor league camp. ... Minnesota decided to keep Jose Morales as its second catcher to pair with Mike Redmond. With All-Star Joe Mauer out with an inflamed back, the 26-year-old Morales will break camp as a major leaguer for the first time. "I called my dad in Texas and told him," Morales said. "He started crying. I called my mom in Puerto Rico. She started crying, too. I called my wife, who's here in town. I told her we were going to Minnesota."