Twins’ Matt Wallner could start a minor league rehab assignment this week

Matt Wallner was around for the struggle and not the surge.

The Twins were 6-12 after a victory April 15, when Wallner went down with a moderate-to-serve strain of his left hamstring. There was concern that he would be out until June. Wallner, however, has recovered well enough to return for a minor league rehabilitation assignment. And he’s expected to begin one as soon as Wednesday.

While he has been away, the Twins have sorted out some things and marched up the American League Central standings thanks to a 13-game winning streak that ended Sunday in Milwaukee. The Twins have used six right fielders in Wallner’s absence. Only second base, where eight Twins have played, has used more players.

“Yeah, for sure. That was so much fun to watch,” Wallner said. “Obviously so excited going forward. I think we’re in a really good spot as a team. Everyone has really stepped up. I got to watch from a fan’s perspective last week, and it’s just so much fun to watch and see guys contribute in all aspects of the game.”

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Wallner said his hamstring has improved every day — faster than he expected — with no setbacks. And he has been running at full speed.

Now he’s close to returning to a lineup that has been winning without him.

“I mean, I would much rather have them winning games when I’m not out there as opposed to the other way around,” he said. “Like it was kind of early. Makes you a bit more excited to get back out there, but 10 times out of 10 you’d rather have the team go on a streak like that as opposed to having them struggle like we were in the beginning.”

With Carlos Correa on the concussion list, Brooks Lee is getting to remind everyone how slick of a shortstop he is. Entering Monday, Lee has not committed an error in five starts there while displaying an accurate arm. He got the start at short again Monday night against the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field.

Lee definitely looks more comfortable playing short than he does second base. In fact, he has committed three errors in nine games at second this season while not committing an error in 30 games on the left side of the infield.

He will get a stretch of games to get settled in at short while Correa recovers but must be ready to move around as needed.

“I think getting regular work in one spot can help guys,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “We move guys around probably as much as any team in the league. We kind of have to, or else we become very static and unable to do much.

“If we’re going to hesitate to do that, Brooks is, I think, going to continue to move around the field. But knowing you have a young player that can just move over to what’s clearly one of the most difficult positions to play on the field, and just take it, claim it, and do a very solid job out there for you, it’s a good feeling. And he’ll be ready. No matter what we ask him to do, Brooks will be ready.”

Before Monday night’s game, former Indian, brief Twin and now Guardian Carlos Santana was honored for winning his Gold Glove last season with a video highlight package.

It was a nice touch considering fans here enjoyed Santana’s work at first base last season. It was the first Gold Glove for the 39-year-old Santana, who has been denied more awards because he has spent his career going up against the likes of Eric Hosmer, Matt Olson and Christian Walker.

“That was his first Gold Glove?” Baldelli said. “That’s a travesty if you ask me, in and of itself. He is a dynamic defensive player.”

⋅ Correa and Byron Buxton were well enough to work out on the side Monday but remain on the concussion list following their collision last week in Baltimore. Baldelli did hint that one of them could be elevated to on-field activity in the coming days.

⋅ The St. Paul Saints had their customary off-day Monday. They will open a series Tuesday against Norfolk, an 11:07 a.m. first pitch at CHS Field.