MINNEAPOLIS — Carlos Correa nearly jumped out of his shoes Monday afternoon to provide the most positive update he’s offered about his plantar fasciitis in two months.
Five days after beginning an entirely new course of treatment — one so painful it brings tears to his eyes — following the advice of a new specialist, Correa is pleased. He doesn’t want to get ahead of himself, but the Minnesota Twins’ shortstop said a return to the field could occur soon.
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, Correa’s update is a burst of much-needed positivity for a reeling Twins team. Word arrived as the team returned home to start a critical six-game homestand with 19 games left and its hold on the final spot in the American League wild-card race dwindling.
“I feel really good,” Correa said. “It’s working, and we’re crossing the line, we’re already thinking about the future, and it’s exciting. … I was waiting to get to this point so I could push the envelope, and this percentage right now, I could play like this, as to where before I couldn’t even walk without pain. But today’s a good day. We’ve come to the right time, I feel like. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I’m very encouraged about the way I’ve been feeling the last few days.”
Out since July 12, Correa has tried anything and everything to make progress with a right foot that sidelined him in San Francisco before the first half ended. He’s feeling upbeat after making a trip to Los Angeles five days ago to meet with another specialist, at least the second additional opinion he has sought in a two-month process.
Correa’s body language during a four-minute interview said it all, with the $200 million man asking reporters if they wanted an update as he returned to the clubhouse from the field.
For the first time in weeks, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli finally could offer a meaningful update on Correa. Previously, Baldelli knew Correa wasn’t close enough for him to have a reason to discuss his recovery.
But after Correa sprinted three times in four days and woke up feeling well the first two times, the Twins think he has cleared a huge hurdle in the path to a return. Baldelli said Monday the Twins are bringing in four pitchers from Single-A Cedar Rapids this week to throw live batting practice for Correa, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Manny Margot.
“They’re doing pretty well,” Baldelli said. “Frequently, (Correa’s) been getting out there. It’s been good, it’s been positive, so we’re moving, I think, in the right direction here. … We would only be bringing these guys if we thought it was needed and it’s the right time and our hitters are prepared for it.”
Though the treatment encouraged by the latest specialist is painful, Correa said it’s worthwhile as he looks to rejoin a club with losses in 14 of its past 20 games. As they look to hold off the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox, the Twins would love nothing better than to insert their All-Star shortstop and Buxton back into the lineup for the stretch run.
Buxton also was upbeat in describing his recovery from right hip inflammation.
Despite the setback he suffered at Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday when the soreness in his hip returned during an at-bat, Buxton is still running the bases. He took fly balls and was scheduled to run again Monday as he prepares to take live batting practice against a group of minor-league pitchers: Spencer Bengard, Jordan Carr, Cleiber Maldonado and Jack Noble.
With one-plus minor-league games played, it’s plausible Buxton could rejoin the Twins without going on another rehab assignment. Since Correa has missed two months, it would seem likelier he might play several rehab games before returning, though Baldelli wouldn’t commit to a plan for either player.
“We’re at that point in the season where you’re not going to be at 100 percent,” Buxton said. “Probably won’t be 90 percent. But you get to a point where you can fight through it and get through it. You want to get out there and play. … Where we are is one of those where I don’t want to hurt us by coming back and having to do something different, you know what I mean? I just want to come back and be my normal self and just have him be comfortable putting me back in the lineup every day.”
Carlos Correa 🤝 Royce Lewis
The #MNTwins hit back-to-back jacks!!! pic.twitter.com/qwOagH4oTr
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) June 16, 2024
Baldelli ripped his players for their energy after an ugly sweep at the hands of the Kansas City Royals. Describing the outburst Monday, several players described Baldelli’s fiery reaction as warranted and refreshing.
Baldelli feels good about his September Festivus, noting he had problems with his people and unloaded them. He’s also excited about the progress made by Correa and Buxton and for them to be in the dugout with his young team as the Twins try to turn around their fortunes.
“The leadership that they bring just by being present, on top of anything they might say or do, holds its weight in gold,” Baldelli said. “Their eyes on the field will be very important to us.”
Correa and Buxton described watching the team’s 2-5 road trip as difficult. Each is excited to be back around the club for its three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s been tough to see us lose games we should win,” Correa said. “It’s tough to see guys hang their heads and not be there to encourage them to let them know that it’s normal to struggle, it’s normal to lose a couple games here and there. But it’s how you act and react to all those things that can make the team better. Hopefully I can be back out there soon and support my team and be able to help win some games.”
Twins flail away in 6-2 loss to Angels
The free fall continues.
Twins hitters struck out 12 times and two sub-.200 batters homered to send the Angels to a 6-2 win at Target Field.
Brandon Drury and Niko Kavadas each belted two-run homers as the Twins lost for the 15th time in 21 games. The Twins finished with five hits and scored only a pair of runs as their lead in the AL wild-card race slipped to three games over a trio of teams, Boston, Detroit and Seattle.
“A lot of those pitches, they’re just not hittable pitches,” Baldelli said. “It’s hard to judge a swing if the ball is clearly not in the zone. I think that is maybe a little frustration, but guys wanting to do something for our team, and to go out there and be the person that’s going to get it going. Sometimes, trying to do less leads to more.”
Despite multiple players mentioning Monday how refreshing it was for Baldelli to rip into the club Sunday, the series opener against the Angels was more of the same.
Rookie pitcher David Festa struggled with his release point and trailed by two runs only three batters into the game. Nolan Schanuel’s two-run single in the first gave Los Angeles the lead for good. Drury then won a nine-pitch at-bat in the third inning to smack a two-run homer off Festa and put the Twins down by four.
“These games are important, so it’s not just like, let’s wait around and hopefully things will — there’s a sense of urgency,” Festa said. “We’re really trying to turn it around.”
The Twins attempted to piece together a rally in the third inning as Carlos Santana’s two-out single brought in a run ahead of a Ryan Jeffers walk. But Reid Detmers struck out Jose Miranda on three pitches out of the zone.
Royce Lewis struck out three times and went hitless in four at-bats. He’s hitless in his last 20 at-bats with 10 strikeouts.
“Hitting is contagious,” Lewis said. “When someone’s hot, some people can feed off of that for sure, and I feel like at the moment, unfortunately, we’re all just in a little funk and it’s baseball, you know? We’ll come out of it. … Like I said, we’ve got the league where we want ’em, man. We’re gonna get hot, just like the D-Backs did last year and roll through the postseason. That would be great. That’s my plan.”
(Top photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
