Twins have found fill-in heroes in righting the ship over the past three weeks

Given that these are the Twins, this notion may seem absurdly optimistic. But it’s worth noting that their hottest two-week stretch of baseball in 34 years, a streak that propelled the team out from among baseball’s lost causes, might soon be surpassed by a Twins circumstance even more rare:

Health.

Carlos Correa appears likely to rejoin the active roster on Friday, after the team cleared a spot on its major league roster, without further explanation, by returning infielder Ryan Fitzgerald back to Class AAA St. Paul. Byron Buxton and Correa, sidelined since their collision in Baltimore on May 15, are eligible to come off the concussion list this weekend, and head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said Wednesday that “Byron is a little bit behind Carlos,” whose concussion symptoms “are gone.”

Demoting Fitzgerald, a 30-year-old infielder who went 0-for-3 with the Twins in his first big-league action, indicates that it’s an infielder who is returning, though the Twins will wait until Friday, when the Royals arrive for a weekend series, to announce the corresponding move. Correa took batting practice and infield drills Wednesday, further signaling his return.

There is no sign that Buxton’s concussion will require a significantly longer treatment, so he could return during the 10-game road trip that begins on Monday. And in St. Paul, right fielder Matt Wallner homered twice in four at-bats in an 8-3 loss to Omaha to open a doubleheader, the weather-delayed first day of his rehab assignment. Wallner, who hasn’t played since straining his left hamstring on April 15, figures to need at least a week to prepare to resume his season.

Once he is back in the Twins lineup? It’s possible, against all odds and their own history, that the Twins will utilize a roster completely assembled on the basis of talent and helping to win games, not dictated by injuries.

Wallner, after all, was injured before Royce Lewis made his own injury-deferred debut on May 6. Edouard Julien, Jose Miranda and Mickey Gasper are no longer on the active roster, but their demotions were based on performance, not health.

In other words, the Twins — coming off a 13-game winning streak — might soon field the best team they can, the team they planned to challenge for the AL Central title.

“We don’t make any excuses. I know every team deals with injuries. But I’ve felt all along this is a contending team just waiting to put everything together,” Correa said earlier this month — before he and Buxton knocked each other out on one play. “We’ve had some guys step right in and help get us rolling, and that’s what you need while guys get healthy.”

Indeed, a rash of injuries in late April forced the Twins to add infielders cut loose by other organizations, which is how Kody Clemens, sold by the Phillies, became a fill-in hero for the Twins.

All he has done is post a 1.070 OPS, with nine extra-base hits in only 44 at-bats. He has hit three home runs, two of which gave the Twins a lead, and he provided a walk-off double in Wednesday’s first game against Cleveland. The lefthanded-hitting Clemens has become so essential, he batted cleanup for the first time in his career in the second game.

“He’s doing more than just taking advantage of opportunities. He’s producing in a big way, just a lot of barrels,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s really squaring them up right now. … He’s doing a phenomenal job.”

So is the pitching staff, of course, the main reason the Twins have returned to competitiveness while the lineup has been filled with unfamiliar names.

Twins pitchers have given up only 54 runs and 12 home runs in May, both totals the lowest among the 30 MLB teams. They are one of seven big-league teams averaging at least one strikeout per inning this month, and their 44 walks issued are bettered in the AL only by Kansas City’s 37. And their 2.85 ERA in May is their second-best mark for a single month this century, bettered only by the Santana-and-Liriano heyday of June 2006 (2.76).

“It’s been a blast to be a part of,” said Joe Ryan, who has given up five runs over 30 innings in his past five outings. “Every day, you get to watch someone shove, and it gets you focused on doing your part.”