Twins catcher Joe Mauer has heard the rumors and heard critics question his toughness and desire amid a lengthy stay on the disabled list with general soreness in his legs and throwing shoulder. He was dismissive of those rumors and criticisms upon his return to Minnesota. "I don't have Lyme disease," Mauer said. "... I have no disease or anything like that, so I think that's probably a good thing to clear that up a little bit." He'll play on Friday night for the first time since April 12. "I've heard a lot of things over the years about many things," Mauer said. "That's why [general manager] Bill [Smith] thought it was important to clear up that term [bilateral leg weakness]. I think that's when everybody started to panic. When [he landed on the DL], I actually had a stomach virus, and I wasn't available [to address the media], so that's where probably a lot of the confusion came from."