Rocco Baldelli: Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton to miss some Twins games over season’s final weeks

Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton played only four innings in Saturday’s 11-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, pulled from the game when the Twins fell into an early eight-run deficit, but they were out of the lineup Sunday.

“It was part of, on the medical side, what we knew was coming,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I mean, Buck was not supposed to play the second game [of the series], and he started the second game. He was not going to be out there for a Sunday noon game. We’ve got to get them ready for what’s to come.”

Correa missed 51 games because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, and Buxton returned from a 28-game absence due to hip inflammation. Neither player is at full strength, and Baldelli acknowledged they will miss some games over the final two weeks of the season because the team has only one scheduled off day remaining.

The two players were available to play off the bench in Sunday’s 9-2 victory over the Reds, Baldelli said, and they’re expected to return to the lineup Monday for the Twins’ series opener in Cleveland.

“We brought them back the earliest we reasonably could bring them back,” Baldelli said. “Now we just have to make it work. We’re not going to sit guys purposely to stagger days, I will say that. There might be days where they’re both playing. There might be days where neither is playing, but they’re going to play as much as they can.”

The Twins saw the best version of Louie Varland at the end of last season when he was throwing 99-mph fastballs and unhittable cutters out of the bullpen. He was lights out in September and made two appearances during the playoffs.

That version hasn’t shown up this year.

Varland reached 101 mph with his fastball in an outing last week, but he’s allowed 15 runs in 5⅓ innings (25.31 ERA) with six strikeouts since he returned to the big leagues on Sept. 4. He gave up six runs when he pitched in Saturday’s loss, entering the game with the score tied.

“I’m not exactly sure,” said Varland, when asked what pitch didn’t work for him Saturday. “I don’t want to say something I don’t want to say. I’ve got to go back and rewatch it.”

The Twins have three high-leverage relievers when they are available: Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran and Cole Sands. Adding Varland, and potentially Jorge Alcala, to that group is vital to reaching the postseason and giving the club a legitimate chance to win a potential playoff game.

“We’re still going to need to go to [Varland],” Baldelli said. “He’s still going to be a guy that we’re going to have to go to in important spots, to keep the game where it’s at, to keep leads. He’s going to have to do all of these things for us. I don’t want to let [Saturday’s] outing deter him. It’s not going to deter me in any way. But we’ve got to get him right.”

• Trevor Larnach, battling with a sore hamstring, looked clearly hobbled when he ran the bases Sunday. He has started his past four games as the designated hitter. “The trainers have been talking to him a lot,” Baldelli said. “It’s not affecting his swing. A lot of the times, if you know a guy is dealing with a muscle injury and it’s affecting his swing, you’re going to slow things down. You’re going to have to give him a little bit of time. He’s still putting really good at-bats together.”

• Justin Topa, who hasn’t pitched in a game for the Twins this season, threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Saturday that simulated two innings. He’s scheduled to face hitters in a live batting practice session Tuesday in St. Paul, and he could start another rehab assignment afterward.

• Randy Dobnak gave up three runs on two hits and three walks in 5⅔ innings, and the Saints lost their fifth consecutive game, 5-2 at Columbus.