MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have avoided a scare with All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, whose right middle finger isn’t fractured as initially feared after a pitching hit the previous game. Friday’s CT scan confirmed he didn’t have a fracture, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. He is just bruised and sore. “Thank you Lord,” Correa tweeted. His condition will be evaluated day by day and he will not have to go on the disabled list. “The reality is he’s just going to be controlling inflammation and pain,” Falvey said. For now, top prospect Royce Lewis will replace Correa. Lewis was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to make his major league debut, taking the roster spot for infielder Luis Arraez, who was placed on the COVID-19 roster. Correa was hit twice in Minnesota’s loss at Baltimore on Thursday. The first in the fifth inning appeared to graze his left forearm and hit him in the right shoulder. The second in the eighth inning hit his right hand while he was on the handle of the bat with him in the middle of a half swing. The ball entered fair territory and Correa was easily removed on a groundout. After a slow start at the plate in his first season with the Twins, Correa was just getting started with a .412 batting average (14-for-34) and eight RBIs in his last eight games. After signing a three-year, $105.3 million deal with the Twins that comes with an opt-out clause after this season and next, Correa has provided instant leadership and a consistent presence at shortstop where he won the AL Gold Glove Award. 2021. The Twins, who took a 2 1/2-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central before their game against Oakland on Friday, have been stretched to the max this week. Manager Rocco Baldelli, Arraez and starting pitcher Dylan Bundy all tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, sidelining them for the time being. They were experiencing mild symptoms. Bench coach Jayce Tingler took over as temporary manager with Baldelli out. Falvey addressed reporters via video conference because he, too, had COVID-19. First baseman Miguel Sanó is out indefinitely and faces surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He hurt himself jumping around to celebrate a walkless win over Detroit on April 26, then aggravated the injury while trying to work through the discomfort Saturday at Tampa Bay. Another key player in the lineup, left fielder Alex Kirilloff, has been out for the past month with right wrist inflammation. Lewis, 22, a native of Southern California, has drifted a bit from his path to the majors since the Twins selected him with the first pick in the 2017 draft. After a year without minor league competition in 2020 Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis tore the ACL in his right knee while doing an agility drill in offseason training before reporting to spring training last year. He sat out the entire 2021 season recovering from reconstructive surgery. Lewis is the Twins’ top prospect, ranked 44th overall by MLB. “We’re pressed into a situation right now where he has to step up and walk away,” Falvey said. “He’s going to have some good days and he’s going to have some bad days.” (© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)