The Twins just lately welcomed a pair of key gamers again from the injured listing, returning each heart fielder Byron Buxton and shortstop Carlos Correa to the beginning lineup. Buxton was activated prematurely of yesterday’s sport after lacking the previous month with a hip damage, whereas Correa has been out for the previous two months as a result of plantar fasciitis in his proper foot. The duo’s return to motion is unquestionably a aid for Twins followers. In any case, solely Matt Wallner’s 162 wRC+ surpasses Correa’s 152 and Buxton’s 142 figures among the many membership’s regulars, and the 2 stars additionally play key defensive roles at shortstop and heart area respectively.

As essential as each Correa and Buxton are to the Twins’ pursuit of an AL Wild Card spot and impending postseason push, nevertheless, they gained’t be within the lineup daily down the stretch. As famous by Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, supervisor Rocco Baldelli instructed reporters earlier right this moment that each gamers will probably be within the lineup on a really game-to-game foundation, with the staff’s medical employees evaluating them each after every sport to find out whether or not or not they’ll be out there to play within the membership’s subsequent sport.

That aggressive administration of the membership’s two prime gamers may appear counter-intuitive for a Twins membership that’s clinging to a 2.5-game lead over Detroit for the ultimate AL Wild Card spot, nevertheless it’s pretty comprehensible given the pair’s important damage woes. In any case, Buxton’s damage woes all through his profession have been excessive sufficient that the subsequent sport he takes the sphere for will imply he’s performed extra video games in 2024 with 93 than he has in any season of his 10-year huge league profession besides 2017. Whereas Correa’s damage woes haven’t been fairly that excessive, the shortstop has been restricted to only 75 video games this 12 months by damage and is now trying to play by means of plantar fasciitis for the second consecutive September. For a Twins membership that hasn’t made it to the ALCS since 2002, protecting Correa and Buxton as wholesome as doable for the playoffs is clearly a prime precedence.

For his half, Correa appears to be on board. The shortstop instructed reporters (as relayed by Gleeman) that “Realistically, [he’s] not going to play each sport” earlier than including that he needs to be on the sphere for the Twins “as a lot as doable” going ahead this season. When Correa and Buxton are unable to play, Brooks Lee seems to be the membership’s major backup at shortstop whereas Willi Castro is the highest choice in heart area.

Extra from across the AL Central…

• The Guardians are coping with an damage scare relating to certainly one of their prime hitters, as membership supervisor Stephen Vogt instructed reporters (together with Mandy Bell of MLB.com) that outfielder Steven Kwan has been out of the lineup in current days as a result of what he described as “again soreness.” Whereas that prognosis could seem pretty benign, it’s a minimum of considerably regarding that Vogt added Kwan has been despatched for testing to find out the severity of the problem. Whereas it’s practically not possible for the Guardians to overlook the playoffs at this level, the membership holds a reasonably tenuous three-game lead over the Royals for the AL Central crown, which is prone to include a bye by means of the primary spherical of the playoffs. The lack of Kwan, who has excelled because the membership’s leadoff hitter with a .291/.364/.419 slash line this 12 months, would absolutely complicate the membership’s hopes of holding onto its current playoff positioning and an prolonged absence may even jeopardize Kwan’s availability within the early rounds of the playoffs. Will Brennan, Angel Martinez, and Daniel Schneemann are among the many membership’s choices in left area whereas Kwan is unavailable.
• The Tigers have been with out Reese Olson for just about the whole second half this 12 months after the right-hander went on the IL again in July as a result of a shoulder pressure. Thankfully, supervisor A.J. Hinch instructed reporters (together with Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic) this afternoon that the membership hopes to activate Olson from the IL through the membership’s upcoming sequence in opposition to the Royals early subsequent week. A wholesome and efficient return from Olson can be an enormous enhance for a Detroit membership that sits simply 2.5 video games again of Minnesota for the ultimate AL Wild Card spot, because the 25-year-old righty was within the midst of a breakout season with a 3.23 ERA and three.13 FIP in 19 begins earlier than being sidelined.