Twins' quick travel turnaround will be tested in Houston

Having gone 5-7 in their past 12 games, the Twins don't have much time to reset and redirect.

For the most part, getaway game days will be afternoon starts, so both teams have a couple more hours to settle at their next location. But there are always some quick turnarounds in a season, like this Monday night at home against the Rangers into Tuesday night's game at Houston.

That means the Twins will take off to Texas late Monday, likely not landing until 3 a.m. or so.

"It has to be a little bit of a shift when you have a schedule like that," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "… You tend to try to relax, try to do less, try to let your body heal a little bit, you try to sleep. It sounds maybe a little overly simplified, but that's generally what we have to do in these periods of time before we can get on a roll again and get into a normal routine."

On Monday, that meant guys coming into the field a little later than normal, to gain a couple extra hours of rest after Sunday's afternoon game. In Houston on Tuesday, it might mean no on-field batting practice ahead of the game to make up for the late-night travel.

Making the Houston series somewhat more hectic is the presence of Carlos Correa. The shortstop will play as a visitor at Minute Maid Park for the first time since he left the organization that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2012 to sign with the Twins this offseason on a short-term free agent deal.

The Twins announced after the game that Aaron Sanchez will come up from Class AAA to start Tuesday in Houston, and he had already traveled there as of Monday night. To make room for him on the active roster, the Twins optioned Devin Smeltzer back to the Saints. The Twins will have to make a 40-man roster move as well before Tuesday's game, though that will likely be transferring Alex Kirilloff to the 60-day injured list after he had season-ending wrist surgery earlier this month.

Outfielder Kyle Garlick could make his Twins return as early as Friday, should a rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints this week go well.

Garlick, a specialist against lefthanded pitchers, will meet the Class AAA side in Iowa Tuesday and plans to be the designated hitter Wednesday before playing in the field Thursday. If he feels he needs more at-bats, he might also play in Friday's game there. But if not, he could be back in time to help the Twins face the Giants at Target Field.

The Twins have keenly felt Garlick's absence recently, while they've run into a slew of lefties and struggled at the plate. Garlick hasn't played since Aug. 1 after running into the outfield fence in San Diego and fracturing costal cartilage around his right rib. The injury can actually take three to six months to fully heal, since that area doesn't receive as much blood flow as a bone would.

"Pretty much since it happened, I was day-to-day, just totally based off pain," Garlick said. "And the first week was kind of like, just let it calm down. Let it do its thing. A second week, it was kind of, OK, let's see what I can do with no pain. So I just tried to keep my body in shape as much as I could. And then this last week, it's been feeling really good. I've been pushing it a little bit more and able to do everything at 100 percent."

Garlick said he mostly feels pain only when he coughs or sneezes. Every now and then when he makes an awkward movement, he'll feel some discomfort, but that eases as he continues moving.

Astute Twins fans might have noticed a different presence — albeit not too unfamiliar of one — at first base for the past two games at Target Field.

Tony Diaz, Twins assistant bench coach, was the one warning baserunners about potential pickoffs, as usual first base coach Hank Conger departed midmorning Sunday in anticipation of the birth of his first child. Diaz began his MLB coaching career as a first base coach for Colorado in 2017 before manning third base for the Twins starting in 2019, so he's been at the ready to slot in for any on-field duties should the need arise.

And this was definitely a good reason for the change. Daughter Kenna arrived to Conger and his wife Kristin early Monday morning, and both mom and baby are healthy and happy.

Conger should return to his coaching duties later this week, with the Twins in Houston for a three-game series before returning for a homestand Friday.