MINNEAPOLIS -- Third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who has been out since July 2 with a fractured left rib, has progressed to hitting off a tee, fielding ground balls and participating in running drills, and he could head out on a rehab assignment by the end of this week.
Plouffe said the pain in his ribs subsided in the last week, and he started baseball activities on Friday and hasn't had any issues.
"I'm doing well," Plouffe said. "I'm taking ground balls and hitting and all that stuff. So I think it might be a matter of days before I go out on rehab.