MINNEAPOLIS -- Byron Buxton readily acknowledges that he isn¡¯t feeling 100 percent, and manager Rocco Baldelli is open in noting that his center fielder likely won¡¯t be able to play every day.

But with 15 games to go in the regular season, it¡¯s all hands on deck for the stretch run -- and that urgency to get Buxton back on the roster paid off when he homered in his first game since Aug. 12 and showcased the outburst of energy that had desperately been needed in the Twins¡¯ dugout amid their recent slump.

And now, they¡¯re getting Carlos Correa back on Saturday, too.

The postgame news that the Twins will activate Correa from the 10-day IL to have all three of their stars -- Buxton, Correa and Royce Lewis -- active together for the first time since July 2 softened the blow of their 8-4 loss to the Reds on Friday at Target Field.

¡°From the present on, and looking toward the future, to have Buck or Correa, all these guys coming back, it seems like, it just gives us hope,¡± Lewis had said on Wednesday.

The defeat reduced the Twins¡¯ slimming lead in the AL Wild Card race to 2 1/2 games over the Tigers, who nearly twirled a combined no-hitter in beating the Orioles on Friday -- though the Twins hold the tiebreaker. That¡¯s the same 2 1/2-game deficit that separates the Twins from the Royals for the second Wild Card spot.

That¡¯s why Buxton is back on the roster at less than full health -- and his swing illustrated how much help even that can give the Twins down the stretch.

Now, they¡¯ll hope for the same from Correa, who noted earlier this week that a new treatment he¡¯d found had significantly improved the recovery of his ailing heel, which has been pained by plantar fasciitis since the All-Star break.

¡°It¡¯s good enough for me to go out there and compete and battle,¡± Buxton said. ¡°And for me, that¡¯s good enough for myself. I know I can go out there and help the team and contribute in any possible way. It¡¯s just one of those things where you look at where you¡¯re at and you push through things sometimes.¡±

Buxton had missed 28 games with the right hip inflammation that sent him to the IL on Aug. 15 and caused a setback during his attempt at a rehab assignment in early September. Correa missed 51 games with the plantar fasciitis in his right foot that flared up at the very end of the first half.

Initially, Correa and the Twins had postured the news as a very short-term issue; instead, it has lingered well beyond what either side had expected, in part because this time, the issue was to Correa¡¯s right foot, home to the problematic ankle that caused two free-agent deals with the Giants and Mets to be scrubbed.

¡°It's been tough to see us lose games we should win,¡± Correa said Monday. ¡°It's tough to see guys hang their heads and not be there to encourage them to let them know that it's normal to struggle, it's normal to lose a couple games here and there, but it's how you act and react to all those things that can make the team better.¡±

With the urgency ratcheted up, the Twins created a makeshift rehab assignment at home by bringing in Class A pitchers to throw live to their injured players at Target Field this week. Buxton and the Twins simply determined that was good enough. The same now goes for Correa.

¡°I can¡¯t tell you we really were super deliberate here and were able to take our time in every way,¡± Baldelli said.

So, that¡¯s where the Twins now stand: Once Max Kepler returns, essentially their entire Opening Day position player group will finally be whole again, with an important four-game series against Cleveland coming up and roughly two weeks¡¯ worth of games to see how well Buxton and Correa can ramp up ahead of the postseason.

It¡¯s been a rough month or so for the Twins, but this always looked like their endgame -- to hit the home stretch at as close to full strength as they could, and to see how far that could take them.

Buxton, Correa and Lewis have been in only 17 starting lineups together this season -- but finally, that number will go up.

¡°Just to be able to finish the season, the regular season healthy and going about my business, that¡¯s exciting for me,¡± Buxton said.