Trevor Larnach lands on injured list, Byron Buxton avoids it

After running through a series of injury updates on four or five players, including stars Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa, before Sunday’s game, acting manager Jayce Tingler was jokingly asked if he was going to give manager Rocco Baldelli some grief for all that he was left to handle.

“Every time I talk to him on the phone, I gently remind him of that,” Tingler said.

Indeed, Tingler has had a lot on his plate as the Twins have gotten increasingly banged up while Baldelli has been sidelined with COVID-19. That continued on Sunday when the Twins saw starter Chris Paddack leave in the third inning with right elbow inflammation. Paddack was sent to undergo imaging, after which the Twins will know more about his status.

But before the game, while Tingler had a positive update on one outfielder, Buxton, he also announced that another, Trevor Larnach, would be landing on the injured list with a right groin strain, suffered on Friday during the play in which he threw Oakland’s Stephen Piscotty out at the plate.

To fill his roster spot, the Twins recalled catcher José Godoy, the last remaining position player on the 40-man roster that was not either on the injured list or active roster already.

Tingler called Larnach’s strain “very low-grade” and said Larnach first felt it while making the throw home. As the game went on, he felt an increasing amount of tightness. While it didn’t affect him at the plate, Tingler said, it did affect his ability to run in the outfield.

Larnach was scratched from Saturday’s lineup, and the Twins made the move Sunday morning.

“I think we kind of take the news as almost a blessing and understand it could have been way worse, so in a way, we’re pretty thrilled that you’re really only looking — if everything continues to progress and go right — really only a week more,” Tingler said.

While Larnach is landing on the injured list, Buxton will be avoiding it. Tingler said Buxton suffered a “very low-level hip strain,” Saturday when he hit the bag in the first inning, but after a day of treatment on Sunday and an off day Monday, the Twins hope Buxton can return in the series against the Houston Astros that kicks off Tuesday.

Buxton said his level of concern was “none.” His treatment on Sunday included dry needling, acupuncture — a first for him —  and “just about everything you can name.”

Acupuncture, Buxton said, was not his favorite.

“I don’t like needles,” Buxton said. “But you’ve got to do stuff you don’t like to get better sometimes.”

While it’s possible Buxton might be able to return on Tuesday, Correa, who has a bruised middle finger after getting hit by a pitch on Thursday, does not expect himself to be back that soon.

“It’s still sore,” Correa said. “When I try to grip the bat, it still hurts. I’m no help to the team if I’m going out there playing hurt. I’m going to take my time, see how it goes, but Tuesday is not a realistic day to come back.”

Correa said he planned on taking dry swings on Monday, after which he will see how it goes and assess from there. While Correa would love to face his former teammates — he was the first overall pick in the 2012 draft and played in Houston up until next year — he’s not going to rush himself back to do so.

“I’ve got to be smart about it. I dodged a bullet,” Correa said. Instead of eight to 10 weeks, maybe it’ll be six, seven days, who knows? I’ll take that over 10 weeks all day long.”

Whether he plays or not, he’ll have plenty of time to connect with his friends and former teammates throughout the week. Some, he said, will come over to the house.

Also excited to reunite with his friends and teammates? Miguel Sanó, who returned to the Twins after undergoing surgery on Thursday in New York to repair a torn meniscus. The Twins hope to get back Baldelli, infielder Luis Arraez and pitcher Dylan Bundy, who all tested positive for COVID-19 while in Baltimore, back soon as well.

Tingler said they were expected to fly privately on Sunday back to the Twin Cities. He said all were feeling better and have “kind of turned the corner.” Once symptom free, they must produce two negative tests within 24 hours to return.

“That is excellent news,” Tingler said of the trio flying home. “We’ll kind of wait and go from there.”

BRIEFLY

Tingler said Bailey Ober (groin strain) threw an 18-pitch bullpen Saturday, and the Twins will assess him over the next couple days before seeing if he’s able to throw a light bullpen on Tuesday or Wednesday. Tingler said he was unsure if Ober would require a rehab start. … The Twins will send Joe Ryan, Chris Archer and Josh Winder out to face the Astros this week. Winder, who slid into the rotation in response to others’ injuries, has given up only one run (unearned) in his two starts.