Twins' Carlos Correa receives good news: His finger is not broken

Carlos Correa assumed the Bryan Baker pitch that struck his middle finger Thursday had carved a giant hole in his 2022 season, perhaps as much as two months out of action while his broken finger healed.

And then?

"And then I heard the best news ever," he said.

A CT scan on his right hand showed that the initial diagnosis in Baltimore was incorrect. There's no break, only a bruise, and he will be ready to play again "hopefully this weekend," he said.

The news set off a celebration in the Twins clubhouse Friday.

"Everybody gave me a hug, everybody was super-pumped. Everybody was happy," Correa said. "Emotions were running high. It's special when you see your teammates react that way. I've only been part of this ballclub for what, five or six weeks, and I feel like those are my brothers already."

Rocco Baldelli remained in Baltimore on Friday, sequestered in a hotel room while he waits for his bout with COVID-19 to end. He called acting manager Jayce Tingler "several times," Tingler said, conferred on the player transactions and had final say on the team's lineup.

"He's doing well physical, he's doing well mentally," Tingler said.

Infielder Luis Arraez and pitcher Dylan Bundy are also quarantined in Baltimore after testing positive for the virus. "They're comfortable where they are at the moment, and not feeling any more symptoms," said Derek Falvey, president of baseball operations — who is himself recovering from COVID at his Minneapolis home. The team has arranged for testing to determine when they can travel.

For now, though, both have been placed on the COVID injured list, allowing the Twins to add Royce Lewis and Cole Sands to the roster from Class AAA St. Paul.

Another non-uniform Twins employee tested positive on Friday, but no more players or coaches were infected, Falvey said.

Alex Kirilloff feels occasional discomfort in his surgically repaired right wrist, but "there's no acute pain" anymore, Falvey said. "He's tracking in a positive direction."

Positive enough, actually, that the Twins terminated his rehab assignment on Friday and recalled him from St. Paul. Kirilloff was not in the lineup Friday, but could be on Saturday.

Kirilloff's wrist flared up again last month, but no new damage was found, and the Twins believe that the 24-year-old outfielder and first baseman will simply learn to adjust to how his wrist feels now.

"That's just part of what hitters go through as they're feeling out something new," Falvey said. "I think back to when Nelson Cruz went through something with his wrist a couple of years ago. It feels different, and then you've got to figure out exactly how you're progressing back."

To make room for Kirilloff, the Twins returned Jovani Moran to St. Paul. The lefthander struck out five and allowed only one hit over 2⅔ innings in two appearances in Baltimore.