Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire to miss two games

Minnesota Manager Ron Gardenhire will miss the Twins’ games on Friday and Saturday against Kansas City to attend Saturday’s funeral of Michael Hirschbeck in Ohio.

Hirschbeck, the son of umpire John Hirschbeck, died Tuesday at age 27. He had battled adrenoleukodystrophy, a disease that affects the brain and nervous system.

Once while in Minneapolis for medical tests at the University of Minnesota, former Twins manager Tom Kelly invited the younger Hirschbeck to be the team’s batboy for a game. It was the beginning of a relationship between Michael and the Twins that continued when Gardenhire became manager.

Moore update

Tampa Bay left-hander Matt Moore plans to play catch in a few days to see how his left elbow is feeling.

Moore went on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. He also experienced elbow soreness last year while going 17-4 with a 3.29 earned-run average for the Rays.

He had an MRI and was waiting for a team doctor to compare it to previous tests. He said on Friday that he felt better and was hoping to play catch in three to five days, giving him a clearer idea of whether he’ll need surgery.