MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins have placed third baseman Trevor Plouffe on the disabled list due to a broken left rib that will likely keep him out at least a month.Plouffe was hit by a pitch Wednesday at Chicago and played the next two games, even going 3 for 4 with a home run Friday against Texas. The pain flared up over the weekend, though, and he was scratched from the lineup Sunday.The move was made Monday before the Twins hosted Oakland, and first baseman Kennys Vargas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to fill in.Another tough blow for Trevor, manager Paul Molitor said. Hes had a frustrating year in terms of getting hurt, getting healthy, getting hurt.Plouffe had a DL stint earlier this season for a strained muscle on his right side. He missed two games last week because of a strained right groin muscle.Just kind of battling throughout the year, playing at 65 to 70 percent, just trying to get through it, Plouffe said. And I would love to continue to do that, man, but this is a little bit too much.Plouffe was told hell probably need four weeks before he can swing again.I feel like I could probably beat that, Plouffe said. I typically come back quicker than they predict, so well see.At least the rest of his body ought to be able to fully heal while hes resting the rib.Got to find a silver lining, man, he said.The silver lining for the Twins is making it easy for Molitor to put Miguel Sano at third base every day, rather than move him to designated hitter when Plouffe was in the field. Vargas, who hit .235 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI in 82 games for the Red Wings, will see some action at DH in the meantime.The Twins kept the arbitration-eligible Plouffe for $7.25 million, after he batted .244 with 22 home runs, 35 doubles and a career-high 86 RBI last season. That prompted them to play Sano out of position in right field, an experiment that recently ended when he returned from the DL.Given their majors-worst 27-54 record at the 81-game midpoint of the schedule, the Twins are certain to try to trade some of their veterans this month before the non-waiver deadline. The injury to Plouffe has reduced his value, though.I dont know whats going to happen with that now, Plouffe said. I guess I never knew. Brian Propp Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. Samuel Morin Jersey .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. 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DENVER -- The Houston Rockets sure didnt look -- or play -- like a tired team.James Harden scored 20 points and the Rockets led from start to finish in beating the Denver Nuggets 128-110 on Friday night.Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson had 18 points each and Sam Dekker added 17 for Houston, which completed an impressive back-to-back road sweep that began with a 132-127 win over Golden State in double overtime Thursday.The latest victory came despite the Rockets 5 a.m. Friday arrival in Denver. Most of the players and coaches got little sleep before playing the Nuggets.Its a good win for us, Harden said. Last night, double-overtime game, getting in at 5 a.m. and not really sleeping. ... We got off to a really good start, guys knocked down shots and just rode that wave the entire game.Rockets coach Mike DAntoni said the win was especially gratifying because of the circumstances and the way his team played.A lot of positives, he said. They found the energy to go ahead and finish up the game. It wasnt always pretty. Its a special group that can conjure that kind of energy in altitude after getting in at 5 oclock in the morning.Wilson Chandler had 24 points to lead the Nuggets, who had won three straight against the Rockets. The Nuggets have lost four of five overall and fell to 3-7 this season at home, the high-altitude venue where they once routinely dominated.Moreover, coach Michael Malone lit into his squad after the game over its lackluster performance.Its one thing to lose games but when youre outworked on your home floor -- Miami did it, Houston did it -- I have no explanation, Malone said. All I know is that it is unacceptable and thats why I do apologize to our fans because they deserve better.Were a bad team right now and I have to start doing a much better job because the direction were headed right now is in a bad, bad place.Up by 10 points at halftime, the Rockets took a 99-84 lead into the fourth quarter and kept the pressure on thhe rest of the way as part of a sharpshooting display that included converting 17 of 37 3-point attempts against a listless Nuggets defense.dddddddddddd Denver went 9 of 30 from beyond the arc.The Rockets took a 73-63 halftime lead over the Nuggets, who allowed a season high in points by an opponent over the first two quarters.Houston led by as many as 15 in the first half, hitting nine 3-pointers, including four by Anderson, to gain early separation with its highest-scoring output over the first two quarters this season.The lack of defensive urgency by Denver was epitomized by Gordons fast-break layup at the halftime buzzer as he drove the length of the court virtually uncontested in the final 3 seconds of the period.TIP-INSRockets: F Trevor Ariza left the game in the final minutes with back spasms, DAntoni said, apparently after coming down awkwardly while going for a rebound. ... Houston has made at least 10 3-pointers in 19 consecutive games, the longest streak of its kind in NBA history. ... Houstons previous high for first-half points was 71 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 26. ... The Rockets are 7-2 on the road since beginning the season 2-3.Nuggets: C Nikola Jokic missed the game because of a sore left wrist. ... G Gary Harris remains sidelined with a right foot injury. ... G Will Barton returned from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the previous two games.QUOTABLEThey played harder than us. They wanted the game more than us. It was a bad loss on our home court. They came back very, very late (to Denver). We should have jumped on them since the beginning and it was the opposite. -- Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari.UP NEXTRockets: Completed a five-game trip and return home to host the Boston Celtics on Monday night.Nuggets: Play at Utah on Saturday night in the first stop of a six-game trip. ' ' '