SEATTLE >> The Twins made a minor roster move on Thursday, setting the stage for a bigger one on Friday.

Rookie outfielder Carson McCusker has been optioned back to Triple-A St. Paul, per the team’s transaction log, after a brief stay in the majors that saw him go 1 for 6 while collecting his first-career hit on Wednesday in Tampa. His demotion signals that the Twins are preparing to add another outfielder to the active roster before they kick off their series against the Mariners on Friday night at 9:10 p.m. CT.

That move is likely to be reinstating Byron Buxton, who has been on the concussion injured list.

Right fielder Matt Wallner, who has been out since mid-April with a hamstring strain, is also near a return, which is likely to come on this road trip.

Getting one — or both back — could provide a huge lift for the Twins, who at no point this season have had their entire position-player group healthy.

Luke Keaschall remains out with a fractured forearm until late June at the earliest, but Buxton and Wallner returning would mean the full group they expected to break camp with this spring is healthy.

Buxton has been out since May 15, the day he collided with shortstop Carlos Correa in Baltimore while making a play on a Cedric Mullins fly ball. Correa returned last weekend after a minimum stay on the seven-day concussion list, but it’s taken longer for Buxton, who has dealt with concussions previously.

Prior to that point, Buxton had played in nearly every game. His 1.8 bWAR (Wins Above Replacement per Baseball Reference) is tied for first among Twins position players with Harrison Bader. His 10 home runs lead the Twins, and his 27 RBIs are second on the team behind just Ty France.

As for Wallner, at the time of his injury, he had been among Twins’ the most-productive hitters during a slow start to the season for much of the offense.

Wallner was hitting .263 with a .847 OPS and a 137 OPS+, a number that is 37 percent better than the league-average hitter.

The right fielder, who has been rehabbing with the Saints since last week, kicked off his rehab assignment by hitting a pair of home runs and has continued to crush Triple-A pitching since then.

Their imminent returns are exciting for the Twins, who have managed to play well even without that duo in the lineup.

“The group of guys we have, the depth that we have, is super important and has shown over this time with them all down,” catcher Ryan Jeffers said over the weekend. “We’ve played some of the best baseball we’ve played with some of our best players not in the lineup.

“Yeah, we’re super excited to get our guys and be able to send our A lineup out there more often, but health is part of the game and having depth keeps the good teams afloat.”

Briefly

After the Twins’ off day on Thursday, they will return to action on Friday night in Seattle with Zebby Matthews on the mound. Matthews took a step forward in his last start, striking out a career-high nine batters in four innings pitched.