Josmil Pinto went 0-for-4 on Thursday, dropping his average to .233.

Pinto hit .246 in April, but with all of the homers (five) and walks (17), he had a .902 OPS. This month, he's hitting .216 with two homers and just two walks in 51 at-bats. He's certainly not making a case for more playing time at Kurt Suzuki's expense, and there shouldn't be many DH at-bats available for him now that Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia have returned.

Josmil Pinto blasted his fifth home run of the young season on Saturday, helping to lead the Twins to a 5-3 victory over the Tigers.

The young backstop finished the afternoon 1-for-3 and also drew a walk. While he's hitting just .230, he sports a .405 on-base percentage and .492 slugging percentage to go along with the five long balls and nine RBI. He's certainly worth using as an second catcher option in mixed leagues.

Josmil Pinto went 1-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored against the Royals on Sunday.

The homer was Pinto's fourth of the year. The catcher also walked twice to give him a 13/13 K/BB ratio and .411 on-base percentage for the season. His average may not be an asset, but everyday at-bats and his pop make him a passable option in deep leagues.

Josmil Pinto hit a two-run home run in Sunday's win over the Royals.

It was Pinto's second home run of the series and third of the year. The catcher has hit safely in six of his eight games played this year but is batting just .231 on the season.

Josmil Pinto belted his second home run of the 2014 season, helping to lead the Twins offense in Friday's rout of the Royals.

The rookie backstop finished the night 1-for-3 with two walks and a pair of runs scored. He's hitting just .211/.286/.526 on the season, and has yet to see consistent playing time as he works as the backup to Kurt Suzuki behind the plate.

Josmil Pinto hit the Twins' first homer of the season in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game.

The Twins were being outhomered by the White Sox 5-0 in the series before Pinto tied today's game in the top of the eighth. He was making his first start after sitting behind Kurt Suzuki the first two games. Hopefully, he'll play a bit more than one out of every three games going forward.

Josmil Pinto hit a three-run homer in the seventh as the Twins beat the Red Sox 7-4 in a rain-shortened game Saturday.

It was called in the top of the ninth. Pinto ends the spring with a .289 average in 29 at-bats. The homer was his first. The Twins think there will be enough at-bats for him as a backup catcher and a DH against lefties to justify keeping him on the roster. That's probably temporary, though. Eventually, he figures to overtake Kurt Suzuki or else get himself sent back to the minors to catch regularly.

Josmil Pinto (back) was cleared to play in an intrasquad game Thursday.

Pinto has been eased back into things slowly after dealing with a sore back in the early days of camp, but he appears to be full-go now. The youngster is expected to open the year as Kurt Suzuki's backup.

Josmil Pinto (back) swung the bat and caught a few bullpen sessions on Monday in Twins camp.

Pinto was limited over the weekend due to a sore back, but it's not a major issue. He is trying to win a share of the Twins' playing time at catcher this spring. Kurt Suzuki seems to have the upper hand for now.

Josmil Pinto sat out workouts on Friday due to a stiff back.

Pinto is just a little sore after working on blocking balls in the dirt on Thursday. The young catcher is also working his way back from a sore shoulder, but neither injury is considered a major issue.

Josmil Pinto said Tuesday that his right shoulder is almost 100 percent.

Pinto suffered from shoulder soreness during the offseason, but he has been throwing without any issues for the past 2-3 weeks and it doesn't bother him when he swings. The Twins are planning to go with Kurt Suzuki as their starting catcher to begin the season, so there's a chance Pinto could begin the season in the minors.

Twins general manager Terry Ryan said Tuesday that Josmil Pinto (shoulder) is "doing all right" and "could play catch now."

Pinto has been nursing a sore right shoulder since November and wasn't chosen for the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs, but it doesn't sound like the ailment is a concern. The young catcher is expected to share time behind the plate with Kurt Suzuki this season.

La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes that Josmil Pinto could begin the season at Triple-A if he "has a poor spring training and is deemed not ready."

The assumption following the Kurt Suzuki signing is that he would be paired with Pinto and help hone the youngster's defensive and game-calling skills. That still might wind up being the case, but it sounds like Pinto will have to play his way into more playing time. The 24-year-old certainly has the biggest offensive upside of the group, so fantasy owners are hoping he does just that.

Josmil Pinto has been taken off the Aragua Tigers roster of the Venezuelan Winter League.

A sore right shoulder had limited Pinto to just three at-bats since November 16. It's unclear whether he suffered a setback or if the team just decided to shut him down. The Twins recently proclaimed a willingness to go into next season with the Pinto as their starting catcher, so it's likely they're just exercising caution with the 24-year-old.

Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press hears that the Twins are "moving on from the catching search" and ready to use Josmil Pinto as their starter in 2014.

Joe Mauer is being moved to first base and the Twins wanted to bring in a veteran catcher this offseason, but the market has produced some rather lofty contracts so far. Pinto, 24, hit .342/.398/.566 with four home runs and 12 RBI in 21 games with the Twins this past season. That's not sustainable output, but he could carry value in some deeper mixed fantasy formats next year.

Twins GM Terry Ryan said Monday that the club's starting catcher for 2014 is "to be determined."

Josmil Pinto hit .342/.398/.566 with four home runs and 12 RBI in a 21-game stint with the Twins in 2014 and would have to be considered the favorite. But there are some options on the free agent market and the Minnesota front office could decide to go that route. Joe Mauer is officially moving to first base full-time in 2014.

Josmil Pinto is considered day-to-day with a bruised right hand after X-rays came back negative on Friday.

Pinto was removed from Friday's game in the fourth inning after taking a Corey Kluber pitch off his hand. The rookie backstop has made quite an impression in his brief time with the Twins, hitting .342/.398/.566 with four homers and 12 RBI in 21 games.

Josmil Pinto finished 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a walk in Thursday's loss to the Indians.

Pinto is now batting .333 (25-for-75) with four home runs, five doubles, and 12 RBI over 20 games since joining the Twins. His presence could make things easier if the Twins eventually have to move Joe Mauer off catcher.

Josmil Pinto finished 2-for-3 with a home run in the Twins' loss to the A's on Saturday in Oakland.

The hot-hitting continues for Pinto, who is now batting .377/.421/.642 with three home runs and nine RBI over his first 15 major league games. The 24-year-old should continue to be an everyday player down the stretch.

Josmil Pinto crushed a three-run homer in the eighth inning Sunday to propel the Twins to a 6-4 win over the Rays.

Pinto's no-doubter into the bullpen area at Target Field was the second round-tripper surrendered by Joel Peralta in the inning. Peralta's four-run implosion blew a two-run Tampa Bay lead and deprived David Price of a win. Pinto has opened eyes around the league during his brief promotion, slashing .405/.463 /.703 in 11 games. At this point, he has a decent chance of breaking camp with next year's team as a backstop that would allow Minnesota to periodically shuffle Joe Mauer and Ryan Doumit between first base and DH.