[ATTACH=CONFIG]3233[/ATTACH]The hits have just kept on coming for the Twins over the past two seasons, leaving those who believe in karmic balance to wonder just when a spell of good fortune would come along for a change. Apparently we're still not there yet, as La Velle E. Neal III indicated on Friday that reigning No. 1 starter Scott Diamond is "really iffy" to be ready for Opening Day after undergoing offseason elbow surgery.

Diamond is a prime regression candidate, but he's the only player in the rotation mix who put together a full, successful season last year, making him the club's most reliable starting pitching commodity by default. Now he'll have a lingering injury concern on top of the question marks about his ability to sustain a breakout performance.

As if Twins fans needed more bad news when it comes to the starting corps.

Diamond underwent the elbow scope to remove a bone chip in December, after late-season soreness (which may or may not have contributed to his September struggles) carried into the winter months. At the time of the surgery, Darren Wolfson was informed that "Diamond will be ready for Spring Training 2013."

It would seem that the lefty has fallen behind schedule if he's now being deemed "iffy" to be at full tilt in seven weeks. And as much as I'd like to believe that this revised timetable is based on some minor setback or a conservative overall approach, the last time we saw a player wait until December to undergo a purportedly minor offseason surgery was Joe Mauer two years ago.

Like with Diamond, the club began to express some reservations about Mauer's status in the early stages of spring training, and we all know how the rest of that story played out. The thought of reliving anything similar with a young pitcher that the Twins absolutely need to get solid production from this year is a bit nauseating.

But the past does not dictate the future. This is a different situation from Mauer's, and hopefully one that will carry a vastly different outcome. We're about due for that, right?

This is a sort out year anyway, do not risk his future to rush him back. Just more opportunities to find what we have in the upper minor leagues. At least Rochester will have a good rotation.