At least one difficult decision lies ahead for Minnesota Twins management as it prepares to call up left-hander Francisco Liriano from Triple-A Rochester. With the success the Twins’ rotation has had so far, Liriano’s promotion is no longer just about timing. It is a juggling act to try and keep a handful of deserving pitchers happy.

As this St. Paul Pioneer-Press story points out, the organization is in a tight spot and must decide how to make the promotion work.

Of course, with Liriano rounding back into shape following 2006 Tommy John surgery, he simply must be on the big league roster. If a spot in the rotation does not open up for him naturally, the Twins are bouncing around the idea of recalling him as a reliever. Liriano has nothing else to prove in Rochester, so he might as well help Minnesota’s push towards a playoff berth.

In 16 starts at Rochester, Liriano is 7-2 with a 3.53 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 97 innings. He is 7-0 in his last eight starts and is on a run of 24 straight scoreless innings.

Liriano’s return to the Twins’ rotation is inevitable, but starting in the bullpen would give general manager Bill Smith more time to make a decision. Certainly, by way of injury or ineffectiveness, the team’s log jam of starters will be cleared up.

Free agent acquisition Livan Hernandez may be eating innings for them, but he also has a 5.44 ERA and has allowed more hits (173) than any pitcher in baseball.

Glen Perkins has been serviceable, but isn’t likely to be much more than that. A tough run of starts, and he could make it easy for Smith to move him to the bullpen. Right-hander Nick Blackburn just had a fingernail issue that could be re-aggravated at any time.

A solution will present itself in the not-too-distant future and Liriano will be back in the rotation. He, and his fantasy owners, will have to stay patient and wait for that day to come. When it does, the Twins, and fantasy teams, will improve their chances of winning a championship.