TORONTO -- Tyler Bozak isnt yet on the cusp of returning. But when hes eligible to come off long-term injured reserve Dec. 29, the Toronto Maple Leafs centre figures his torn oblique will be healed up enough to get back into the lineup. "Its still getting better every day. It feels pretty good now," Bozak said Thursday. "If theres a problem, maybe, but right now it looks like Ill be back right when IR ends." Bozak has been out since Dec. 5 and missed Torontos home game Thursday night against Phoenix. And with the Leafs having placed him on the long-term list, Bozak must also miss upcoming games against Detroit, the New York Rangers and Buffalo before being free to return against Carolina three days before the Winter Classic. The 27-year-old skated with teammates Thursday at the Air Canada Centre but hes obviously on his own track while the Leafs seek to reverse their fortunes. After missing 12 games earlier this year with a hamstring injury, Bozak is dealing with another difficult problem with his oblique. "Kind of like the same thing last year but a lot worse this year," he said. "I dont know what it is, to be honest. "I kind of stressed it a lot on faceoffs. I think it mightve happened on that. I think its just pretty unlucky and nothing you can get too down on yourself about." Bozaks injury came with the Leafs already missing centre Dave Bolland, who still hasnt resumed skating after having a tendon in the back of his ankle severed in late October. The latest injury down the middle came Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers when impressive journeyman callup Trevor Smith broke a bone in his right hand blocking a shot. "I dont know whats going on with us," Bozak said of Torontos injury woes. "I think its all been pretty unfortunate stuff with Smitty and Bolly, things that you never want to see happen and they cant really control by any means." Bozak cant control much right now other than his rehab. Being forced to watch the Leafs go 3-5-0 without him certainly hasnt helped matters. "Its not fun to watch, its never fun to watch," Bozak said. "Its not fun to watch if youre winning or if youre losing. "Obviously you want to be out there helping the guys and stuff like that." Bozak is used to being able to help, typically as the No. 1 centre alongside roommate and friend Phil Kessel, who had two goals in the eight games prior to Thursdays contest with Phoenix. Bozak hasnt had any season like this before and is trying to stay positive. "Ive not really been injured at all, knock on wood, except for college I had surgery on my one knee the one year," he said. "My first years here I missed a handful of games each year, but nothing too serious. "Obviously its been tough, but I hope I can come back stronger and help the team." Custom Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys . 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Morales tiebreaking double in the top of the ninth off Texas closer Joakim Soria brought in pinch-runner Sam Fuld from first base in a 3-2 Minnesota victory Sunday. After the security guard dodged the ball with his right foot, the carom off a brick wall just missed his left foot as the ball rolled into shallow left field, a long way from Texas Michael Choice. A ground-rule double would have forced Fuld to stop at third instead of scoring easily, and Soria (1-3) struck out the final two hitters of the inning. "We got a couple of breaks, and we won the ballgame," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. Kyle Gibson (7-6) matched a career high by going eight innings and scattering eight hits. Glen Perkins struck out the side in the ninth for his 20th save in 23 chances. Robinson Chirinos had three hits for Texas, including his seventh homer of the season in the fifth inning for a 2-2 tie. Josh Willinghams second hit got the winning rally started with one out in the ninth before he was replaced by Fuld. The Twins had lost the first five games on a six-game road trip after winning four straight on a brief homestand. "It was a big game for us after a tough road trip," said Gibson, who had a 22-inning scoreless streak snapped when he allowed seven runs in just two innings to start the trip at the Los Angeles Angels. "All I did was try to give my team a chance to win and turn things around." Jorge Polanco, making his first major league start for Minnesota, had a tying double on a check-swing roller over the bag at third base in the third inning. The 20-year-old shortstop scored for a 2-1 lead on a single by Joe Mauer, who extended his hiitting streak to a season-high 10 games.dddddddddddd "They did what they had to do to win the game," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We didnt. Even if it was check swings and all that stuff, thats baseball. You cant control what happens sometimes." Polanco also had a strong day defensively, helping turn three double plays and taking a hit way from Elvis Andrus on a one-hop smash to his left in the eighth inning. "The kid played great at shortstop," Gardenhire said. "He has good at-bats. Hes got things to learn, but hes doing just fine." The Rangers had runners at first and third with nobody out in the second and again with one out in the seventh but didnt score either time. Choice struck out ahead of Rougned Odors double-play grounder in the second, and Choice grounded into a double play to end the seventh. Texas right-hander Colby Lewis ended a streak of 13 straight starts without a quality start of at least six innings and three earned runs or fewer, which was tied for the major league record with Seattles Steve Trout from 1988. He gave up two runs in six innings and struck out eight. Lewis left in a 2-2 tie, remaining winless in seven career starts against the Twins. It was the second rough outing of the three-game series for Soria. He gave up four runs in the ninth inning of Texas 5-4 victory on Friday. The injury-riddled Rangers (37-44) hit the halfway mark of the season with their fewest wins since 2007 and are 14 games behind Oakland in the AL West. "Were just in a situation right now where weve got guys hurt and were going to go out there and compete," Lewis said. "Thats all Wash asks us to do." NOTES: Chris Parmelees single in the sixth inning gave him a career-best nine-game hitting streak. ... The Rangers won a home series for the first time since mid-April. They had gone winless in 10 straight series at home. ... Polanco is the first Minnesota player to start his career with two extra-base hits since Rich Becker in 1993. ' ' '