According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, Class AAA reliever Bobby Keppel was told after last night’s doubleheader that he is being promoted to the Twins. (See bottom of this game story.)

I’d heard Sunday that there was a good chance Keppel would be joining the Twins before Tuesday’s game in Milwaukee but wondered if the injury situation (Justin Morneau, Nick Punto, etc.) clouded the issue.

Not sure what the corresponding roster move will be, or if the Twins will even announce it today. I will post an update here when I get one. They could cut ties with Sean Henn or Luis Ayala, although they also have been going with an 11-man pitching staff and could go back to 12 if they demote a position player or need to put someone on the DL.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Justin Morneau was not available today, even as a pinch hitter, as Morneau’s streak of 319 consecutive games played came to an end.

Gardenhire continued to describe Morneau’s injury as general soreness.

“He plans on being in there everyday, but he knew when he came in today that he was not feeling very good,” Gardenhire said. “He was going to try to get loose, and we walked over and checked him, and it was not working out.

“We saw that at the end of last year, when he played through everything, the bad back — the whole package, and we don’t want to get into those things, not in the middle part of the year.”

Ryan Howard’s streak of 343 consecutive games played also ended today. He has been hospitalized with flu symptoms.

(*) Jason Kubel left the game with flu symptoms. Gardenhire said Kubel also had lost Miguel Tejada’s first-inning double in the roof.

(*) Asked if his team needed reinforcements before resuming play in a National League ballpark, Tuesday in Milwaukee, Gardenhire said, “There’s really not a lot of answers right now. Nicky [Punto’s] day-to-day, and Morneau should be fine, I would hope. And there’s not a lot of answers right now. There’s not people to come up and help us, so we have to let these guys get well.”

Justin Morneau is getting his first day off this season because of general soreness, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said this morning, adding that he expects Morneau will be ready to play on Tuesday in Milwaukee.

Denard Span is going on a rehab assignment to Class AAA Rochester. The Twins want him to play Monday and Tuesday for the Red Wings, then rejoin the team in Milwaukee on Wednesday before being activated from the DL on Thursday.

Nick Punto has sore ribs but Gardenhire said he doesn’t expect him to have to go on the DL.

Kevin Slowey has been pushed back in the rotation, after cramping in his side during Friday’s start. So the rotation, starting Tuesday in Milwaukee will go: Francisco Liriano, Nick Blackburn, Scott Baker, Glen Perkins and Slowey.

The Twins are playing a Father’s Day family game on the field, so those are all the pregame updates available at this time.

Updates as they come.

Update: Morneau has played in 319 consecutive games, dating to 2007. That is the second-longest streak behind Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard, who is at 343.

Update: Jason Kubel left today’s game in the fourth inning. No update as to why, but will have it here when it’s announced. Michael Cuddyer moved to right field, and Brian Buscher was inserted at first base.

Update: The Twins announced that Kubel left the game because he is ill.

ASTROS (32-36)

1. Michael Bourn, CF
2. Jeff Keppinger, 3B
3. Miguel Tejada, SS
4. Carlos Lee, DH
5. Lance Berkman, 1B
6. Hunter Pence, RF
7. Ivan Rodriguez, C
8. Kazuo Matsui, 2B
9. Jason Michaels, LF

Starting pitcher: Wandy Rodriguez (5-6, 3.33 ERA)

TWINS (35-35)

1. Carlos Gomez, CF
2. Brendan Harris, SS
3. Joe Mauer, DH
4. Michael Cuddyer, 1B
5. Jason Kubel, RF
6. Joe Crede, 3B
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Mike Redmond, C
9. Matt Tolbert, 2B

Starting pitcher: LH Glen Perkins (2-3, 5.09 ERA)

Metrodome. First pitch: 1:10 p.m.

What a clunker. With Detroit’s loss, the Twins missed a chance to pull within one game of first place in the AL Central tonight, as they fell to Pittsburgh 8-2.

Andy and Adam LaRoche became the first brothers to hit a home run in the same game for the Pirates since Lloyd and Paul Waner last did it on Sept. 13, 1938. (The Waners did it three times.)

The Twins finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, including costly at-bats by Delmon Young and Jason Kubel with a runner on third base and less than two outs.

I focused my game story on Francisco Liriano’s repeated struggles the second time through the batting order. But Liriano does have a 3.79 ERA over his past three starts with no wins to show for it.

“You see light out there because he’s actually doing OK,” Manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He got through the seventh inning — four runs, two bad pitches — and gave us an opportunity to get back in the game. We just missed a lot of chances. Some really poor at-bats. First-pitch swinging with a man on third, tapping it back to the mound, that’s just not going to cut it.”

Head to La Velle’s blog for Thursday’s starting lineups (first pitch: 12:10 p.m.), as the Twins try to win the series behind Nick Blackburn, who has a 1.80 ERA in his past five starts.

Jason Pridie has arrived from Class AAA Rochester. He’ll be available off the bench tonight, as the Twins take on the Pirates at the Metrodome.

I spoke to Denard Span, who is happy to have a diagnosis for his recent dizzy spells. He’ll be working out while the medication combats his inner-ear infection. More on that in the notebook.

The Twins announced that they’ve signed two more picks from last week’s draft: second-round pick Billy Bullock (RHP, University of Florida), 17th-round pick Nick Tindall (C, O’Fallon Township High School in Illinois). They also have signed fourth-round pick Derek McCallum (2B, Gophers).

Updates to come…

PIRATES (30-34)

1. Andrew McCutchen, CF
2. Nyjer Morgan, LF
3. Freddy Sanchez, 2B
4. Adam LaRoche, 1B
5. Delwyn Young, RF
6. Eric Hinske, DH
7. Andy LaRoche, 3B
8. Robinzon Diaz, C
9. Jack Wilson, SS

Starting pitcher: RH Ian Snell (1-7, 5.25 ERA)

TWINS (33-33)

1. Brendan Harris, SS
2. Joe Mauer, C
3. Justin Morneau, 1B
4. Jason Kubel, DH
5. Joe Crede, 3B
6. Michael Cuddyer, RF
7. Delmon Young, LF
8. Carlos Gomez, CF
9. Nick Punto, 2B

Starting pitcher: LH Francisco Liriano (2-7, 5.99 ERA)

Metrodome. First pitch: 7:10 p.m.