Twins' Carlos Correa sits out for second game in a row because of back spasms

The Twins on Monday opened a three-game series against the White Sox with neither Byron Buxton nor Carlos Correa in the lineup.

Correa missed a second consecutive game because of what he called a "middle back spasm" he first felt running during Saturday's 9-6 victory over Houston.

Buxton didn't start for a second time this season, part of what Twins manager Rocco Baldelli called a regular monitoring of his health that for now includes only designated hitting. He did pinch hit in the eighth inning, striking out.

Correa playfully attributed his back to having two young boys.

"I guess that's part of it, carrying the boys so much," he said. "I should be good in a couple days, but want to make sure that I don't play through it and it gets worse. It shouldn't be anything to alarm me. Yesterday was a little more sore. Today it has been feeling better so hopefully in the next couple days I can be back in."

Correa said this back issue is unrelated to back problems he had last year.

"No, no, not last year at all," he said. "My problems in the back were more lower back. There's nothing there right now. It's just like a spasm. Nothing to worry about. Just some treatment and some rest and it should be good."

Baldelli concurred after Correa was listed in the original Twins lineup and then scratched.

"I don't see it being any sort of issue long-term," Baldelli said. "He knows his body so well, he knows when he needs be off the field for a day or two. … Initially when he was off yesterday, in my mind it was a one or two day thing. Is there always a chance that it's slightly more? You never know.

"We'll see how he is today, but I wouldn't foresee it being any kind of long-term basis. I think he's going to be perfectly fine."

Kyle Farmer started at shortstop, going 0-for-4and leaving five runners on base. In the Astros series, he had five hits in nine at-bats, with a homer and four RBI.

Hot-hitting Trevor Larnach moved into the leadoff spot where Max Kepler and Buxton have batted in this young season. Jose Miranda filled Buxton's DH spot and batted second.

Baldelli has said Buxton probably will continue to DH only through at least April and continue to get a game off regularly as well. He also has sounded thrilled with how much and how often Buxton has performed so far.

"For me, as long as I'm playing," Buxton said after Monday's game. "I really doesn't matter where [what position] I'm at, as long as I'm on the field and in the lineup, whatever the situation might be. Wherever I can help the team, that's what I'm doing right now."

Joey Gallo missed his third consecutive game because of strained rib muscles, but the veteran slugger did what Baldelli termed "some rotational movement."

"I'd say it's still a matter of days before we see him out there," Baldelli said.