MINNEAPOLIS -- Kirby Puckett denied dragging a woman into a restaurant bathroom and groping her, testifying Monday that he had offered only to escort her there.

The Hall of Famer gave a markedly different account from that of his accuser on what happened Sept. 5 at Redstone American Grill in suburban Eden Prairie.

The woman testified last week that the former Minnesota Twins star forced her into a men's room stall and grabbed her breast, causing bruises on her breast, arm and ankle.

Puckett is charged with false imprisonment, a felony; fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct, a gross misdemeanor; and fifth-degree assault, a misdemeanor.

The defense rested its case Monday. Prosecutors planned to call rebuttal witnesses Tuesday, and the case was expected to go to the jury after closing arguments Wednesday.

Prosecutors say the stiffest sentence they would seek is no more than a year in jail if he's convicted on all counts.

Last week, Puckett's lawyer said the woman went into the men's room because the women's room was crowded.

Puckett said he saw the woman coming out of the men's room and heard her say, "That was exciting.'' He said she indicated that she hadn't used the bathroom, and when he asked her whether she wanted to, she said she did.

"I reached my arm out and she grabbed my arm, and we walked into the bathroom,'' Puckett said. He said he extended his arm "like a gentlemen would.''

The woman testified that Puckett opened two stalls, which were occupied, then forced her into a third. The bathroom, however, has only two stalls.

In his account, Puckett said he opened the door to the handicap stall, but there was a man inside, so he opened the door to a smaller stall where vomit was on the floor. He said the woman exclaimed it was "gross'' and left without using the bathroom.

Puckett said he drank three apple martinis that night and assumed the woman had had a few drinks, too, because she was laughing and giggling.

Earlier, a friend of Puckett's testified the former player did not force the woman into the bathroom.

Dr. Susan Roe, a forensic pathologist, testified that the bruises on the woman's arm and ankle, which were shown in photographs taken Sept. 9, could have been caused four or five days earlier, before the alleged attack. While Roe could not rule out assault and didn't examine the woman herself, she said the bruises didn't appear consistent with the woman's account.

Puckett helped the Twins win the World Series in 1987 and 1991. His career abruptly ended in 1996 when glaucoma left him blind in his right eye.

The Twins made him an executive vice president, a position he held for six years. He told the jury he retired in November.