Carlos Correa not expected to rejoin Twins on homestand

KANSAS CITY, MO. – Carlos Correa told Fox that he felt better when he ran at Target Field in the past few days, the best he’s felt since he went on the injured list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

It’s a step in the right direction, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said, but there are no immediate plans for Correa to begin a rehab assignment. That likely rules Correa out from returning during the Twins’ upcoming six-game homestand.

“We still have a ways to go,” Baldelli said. “We’ll see if we can build on that and keep moving in a positive direction. That’s good news. We will absolutely take that, but we want — even if it’s slow steps — steady, positive steps would be exactly what we’re hoping for right now. We’ll see how it all adds up as we get into the middle of the month.”

Correa, who hasn’t played since July 12, has repeatedly said he expects to return this season, but he emphasized it’s not the same situation as last year when he played through plantar fasciitis in his left foot. He underwent surgery on his right ankle in 2014, and medical concerns about it nixed free agent contracts with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets.

Assuming he misses the upcoming homestand, the Twins will have two weeks remaining in their season. That includes a pivotal seven-game road trip through Cleveland and Boston, which could carry massive postseason ramifications.

The Twins are planning for Correa to play shortstop, but they haven’t ruled out a move to third base if his range is limited upon his potential return. The Twins had Royce Lewis start one game at second base in the past week.

“We’ve talked about that certainly, and we’re not ruling that out because we don’t want to rule anything out,” Derek Falvey, the Twins president of baseball operations, told WCCO last week.

Walker Jenkins, the top-rated prospect in the Twins farm system, will finish the season at Class AA Wichita.

Jenkins was promoted after Class A Cedar Rapids finished its season Sunday, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Jenkins, a 19-year-old outfielder, batted .290 with three homers, 12 doubles, 17 RBI and 21 runs in 34 games at Cedar Rapids. He posted a .382 on-base percentage with 17 walks compared to 24 strikeouts.

Sidelined with a hamstring injury for six weeks earlier this season, Jenkins has played only 76 games in his first full professional season. The lefthanded-hitting center fielder was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft.

Wichita’s season ends next Sunday after a six-game homestand.

• Carlos Santana remained out of the Twins lineup Sunday, one day after leaving a game because of an illness. “It’s very difficult to get him out of the lineup,” Baldelli said. “You normally know that if he can’t play, he’s in pretty rough shape. That’s been the way he is for his entire career and that’s the way he is now.”

• Simeon Woods Richardson threw fastballs for only 21 of his 70 pitches during his 4 ⅓-inning outing against the Royals on Sunday. “They are a good fastball-hitting team,” he said. “Bailey [Ober] did a great job the day before establishing all pitches. Trying to watch him and see where we’re going from there.”

• Carson McCusker hit a three-run homer and righthander Travis Adams gave up two runs in six innings as the St. Paul Saints earned a 9-3 home win over Iowa on Sunday.