Rich Harden (shoulder) plans to audition for teams this summer.

Harden has recovered slowly from January 2012 shoulder surgery but has resumed throwing again. The oft-injured right-hander hasn't appeared in the majors since 2011 and is a long shot to ever have an impact again.

Twins released RHP Rich Harden.

Harden had an out clause in his contract that he chose to exercise. The oft-injured right-hander has still yet to throw a pitch this season and in fact hasn't thrown one at any level since 2011. He's still rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

Rich Harden (shoulder) will throw live batting practice this week.

Harden's recovery from shoulder surgery has gone very slowly, as he's had setbacks after feeling soreness in his shoulder, lat and forearm at various points. He's feeling good of late, though. "There have been no setbacks this go-round. Everything's felt good. Every report, every time he's thrown a bullpen or done anything, it's been positive," wins assistant general manager Rob Antony said. "So hopefully he can continue to progress."

Rich Harden (lat) is scheduled to resume throwing this week.

Harden dealt with soreness in his surgically-repaired shoulder in April and suffered a strained lat muscle last month. The Twins signed the injury-prone right-hander over the winter, but he's a long shot to contribute.

Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony said Friday that Rich Harden's rehab has been "slow" and "not very well to be honest".

Harden felt soreness in his surgically-repaired shoulder while throwing a few weeks ago and hasn't progressed much since. It's starting to look like a longshot that the oft-injured right-hander will ever make an impact for the Twins.

Rich Harden felt soreness in his surgically-repaired right shoulder while throwing last week.

It appears to be just a minor setback, as Harden is expected to ramp it up again next week. It remains up in the air as to when the right-hander might join the Twins' roster.

Rich Harden (shoulder) is set to throw live batting practice to hitters in Fort Myers on Tuesday.

It's the next step in Harden's recovery from shoulder surgery. He has a $1 million opt-out clause in his contract if he's not with the Twins by July 31, but that shouldn't be an issue if he's already facing batters. It's not yet known whether he will be used as a starter or reliever by the Twins.

Rich Harden (shoulder) threw to hitters for the first time this spring on Saturday.

There's still no timetable for when Harden when be able to pitch in an actual game, but he should contribute at some point this season. The Twins aren't sure whether they will use him as a starter or reliever.

Twins reassigned RHP Rich Harden and LHP Rafael Perez to minor league camp.

Both pitchers are coming back from shoulder surgery and still aren't ready for game action. Harden is obviously a longshot to get and stay healthy and productive this season.

Rich Harden (shoulder) threw a bullpen session Sunday.

Harden was limited to long-tossing at the beginning of camp as he built up strength in his surgically-repaired right shoulder, but he's been throwing from the mound for a little while now. The injury-prone righty won't be ready for the start of the season, and it remains up in the air whether he'll be used as a starter or reliever while he's healthy and built up enough shoulder strength.

Rich Harden (shoulder) is currently long-tossing at 150 feet.

Harden was throwing off a mound early in camp, but the Twins determined that he needed to build up strength in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. "He's feeling good," general manager Terry Ryan said, "so we'll take this in increments." The club still isn't sure whether Harden will be used as a starter or reliever, but it's probably safe to assume that he's not a realistic option for the Opening Day rotation.

Rich Harden (shoulder) said his first spring training bullpen session Wednesday "felt pretty good."

"It felt pretty good," said Harden. "It was fun. It was good to get back out there. I'm hoping it'll feel the same when I start facing hitters. I threw mostly fastballs because I'm trying to get that feel back." Harden, of course, missed all of the 2012 season due to shoulder surgery, and he's a poor bet to stay healthy for much of 2013. The Twins aren't sure whether they will use him as a starter or reliever.

According to 1500 ESPN's Phil Mackey, the Twins are considering Rich Harden for their bullpen.

The Twins would prefer to use Harden as a starter, but his role remains to be seen after missing the entire 2012 season due to shoulder surgery. "He has done both," GM Terry Ryan said. "And I would tell you starter if the health issue was not a part of this, but he's not been healthy. So we have to keep that option open."

Rich Harden's new minor league contract with the Twins includes an opt-out clause for July 31.

In other words, Harden can become a free agent if he's not on the Twins' big league roster by the trade deadline. The 31-year-old right-hander is nearly a full year removed from shoulder surgery and represents a nice low-risk option for the Minnesota starting rotation.

Twins signed RHP Rich Harden to a minor league contract.

He's been given an invitation to spring training. Harden missed the entire 2012 season following surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder, but he's reportedly healthy now and trying for a comeback. The 31-year-old hasn't had any success since 2009 and has, of course, had major problems with staying healthy, but it doesn't hurt to see what he might have left.

La Velle E. Neal III reports that the Twins were in touch Thursday with the agent for free agent right-hander Rich Harden.

Harden missed the entire 2012 season following surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder, but he's currently gearing up for a comeback. The 31-year-old right-hander will likely have to prove his worth with a minor league deal.

FOX Sports' Jon Morosi reports that Rich Harden (shoulder) "feels great" and plans to pitch next season.

Harden missed the entire 2012 season following surgery to repair a torn capsule in his right shoulder. He's received interest from multiple teams, according to Morosi, but it's unclear whether he'd be returning as a starter. The 31-year-old right-hander posted a 5.12 ERA and 91/31 K/BB ratio over 82 2/3 innings in 2011 for Oakland and has a career 3.76 ERA over parts of nine seasons in the majors.

Peter Gammons of MLB Network reports that Rich Harden had surgery last week to repair a torn capsule muscle in his right shoulder and will miss the entire 2012 season.

Gammons said on MLB Network on Wednesday that the surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews. The rehab process from a torn capsule can be tricky (see: Chien-Ming Wang and Johan Santana for two prominent recent examples), but he's aiming to come back healthy in 2013. Harden, 30, posted a 5.12 ERA and 91/31 K/BB ratio over 82 2/3 innings for the A's last season.

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, some teams are interested in Rich Harden as a reliever.

Harden would probably prefer to remain a starter, but his free-agent options are far from plentiful and he might have to settle for a bullpen job if no team comes forward with a rotation spot. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a disappointing 5.12 ERA in 82 2/3 innings last season for Oakland despite a cool 91/31 K/BB ratio.

Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rockies are interested in free agents Rich Harden and Bruce Chen.

They're also interested in bringing back Kevin Millwood, which has been reported previously. We like Harden on an incentive-laden deal, as he should come cheaply and could wind up being worth it even if he's only able to make 15-20 starts. Chen, though, as an extreme flyball pitcher that doesn't miss bats, would be a disaster waiting to happen in Coors Field.