Bad news after the break: Twins put Correa and Paddack on the injured list

A five-day break from work makes anyone happy. And although two key Twins players were out injured when play resumed on Saturday, their ever-optimistic manager stressed that the condition of both players was not as worrisome as it sounds.

Yes, All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa is wearing a walking boot on his right foot after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in the heel, Rocco Baldelli said shortly before Correa went on the injured list for the second time this season. Yes, it’s plantar fasciitis, the same condition, albeit on the other foot, that largely hampered his performance at bat last summer, but “we don’t think (he’s) going to be out several weeks to a month. We think it’s going to be shorter.”

And yes, right-hander Chris Paddack, who has 11 wins for the Twins this season, is returning to the IL for the second time this month, according to Baldelli, after feeling pain in his right elbow on Sunday in San Francisco. It’s the same elbow that has required Tommy John ligament replacement surgery twice before, but “the ligament seems to be OK,” Baldelli said. “I believe it’s some sort of muscle strain, something that should heal well.”

Decide for yourself whether Saturday’s developments are good news or bad news. They were definitely fortunate transactions for Edouard Julien, who was called up from Class AAA St. Paul and immediately inserted into the lineup against Milwaukee on Saturday as a second baseman, and for Austin Martin, who was activated from the IL because his right oblique strain is no longer a problem.

But the machinations surrounding the injury lists have recently been so extensive that Baldelli pulled a list out of his pocket to provide current information about all of the clinic’s patients.

Byron Buxton, for example, started in midfield after missing several games due to a bruised right elbow in a collision with the wall in San Francisco.

Jose Miranda, however, was not so lucky. His lower back, which was tight last weekend, “feels much better now. Much better,” he said. But he will need a few more days and perhaps a period of rehab with the Saints before the Twins activate him.

The same goes for his teammate Royce Lewis. The Saints return home on Tuesday and Lewis, who is now out for three weeks, could join them soon after.

For now, though, Baldelli is focused on filling Correa’s spot at shortstop — Willi Castro will get most of the playing time there, Baldelli said, while Julien will man second base and Brooks Lee will man third base — and Paddack’s spot in the rotation. A replacement player will be named by Wednesday for the final game of the series against Philadelphia, but Baldelli said the Twins are not yet ready to announce who it will be. David Festa has filled in for Paddack in the last two outings.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to remember who is on the list and who is not, said Baldelli.

“It’s hard to know all the possible moves when the roster changes so much. You can pretend to see everything through, but there are too many different scenarios,” he said. “So you just have to wait until the game starts, then you’ll see it better.”

To look good

Lewis stayed in Minnesota during the break to continue his recovery from the adductor strain that has kept him off the field.

And now? “I’m ready for the vacation to be over,” Lewis said, smiling.

He took batting practice, caught ground balls and did his usual weight-training routine when Target Field was empty last week, he said. Most importantly, he got a lot of walking in, considering he suffered two serious injuries on the bases this season.

“I felt really good running,” Lewis said. “Everything is going well, so we’ll take it day by day. I’m not sure, but I think if it was the playoffs, I would definitely be there. That’s how good I feel.”

Logistical problems

Flight cancellations due to Friday’s computer outages also impacted the Twins. Injured infielder Kyle Farmer was unable to return from Georgia, where he had spent the All-Star break. Joe Ryan and Jhoan Duran had to rebook their flights, but both pitchers made it to Target Field shortly before Saturday’s game.

And assistant coach Masa Abe, who has returned home, “is still stuck in Japan,” Baldelli said. “I think he has to sit there now and fly standby, so we expect he will literally be sitting at the airport waiting for his name to be called. So we are missing a coach at the moment.”

Additionally, Julien’s equipment bag didn’t arrive on time on Saturday, so he borrowed a pair of cleats from catcher Christian Vázquez and a glove from coach Tony Diaz.

The saints roll

Anthony Prato had three hits, including a triple, scored three times and scored four runs. The Saints beat host Toledo by 19 hits for the second straight time and won 11-3. Adam Plutko allowed two runs on six hits and one walk in 5⅓ innings and had six strikeouts.