"Joe Mauer played his 11th game at first base Saturday, and by just about any standard, his occasional appearances there this season have been a success. The question now is whether it's a harbinger.

Mauer entered Saturday's game against the White Sox batting .486 (18 for 37) as a first baseman and without an error at a position he hadn't played since he was a prospect in Class A. Perhaps most important, first base is "a lot easier on my body than catching," he said.

But asked if he sees playing a position in addition to catcher next season, Mauer stopped short.

"A lot of different situations led to this," he said. "We are where we're at, and hopefully I'll have a good offseason, rest up and get back to what I do normally."

That would be catching every day, something he hasn't been able to do this season because of leg weakness that caused him to miss, essentially, the first two months of the season. Because he still isn't fully recovered physically and because Justin Morneau (neck/arm) has been out since June 9, playing first made sense.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said he believes playing an extra position is part of Mauer's future, and that the catcher understands this. "