SAN FRANCISCO >> Christian Vázquez is known to take ground balls at third base from time to time, keeping his glove sharp there in the unlikely scenario that he is ever needed to man the hot corner.

That day came on Saturday.

Shortstop Carlos Correa was scratched shortly before the game with a right heel contusion and manager Rocco Baldelli said he will have imaging done.

Jose Miranda has been dealing with low back tightness and missed his second straight game on Saturday. He will be placed on the injured list on Sunday, Baldelli said. And on Friday, Kyle Farmer landed on the injured list, leaving the Twins thin on infield options.

Vázquez was their only option at the position with Willi Castro and Brooks Lee already in the lineup and Correa and Miranda both hurting. The two other players on the bench were Byron Buxton, who did not play because of a sore elbow from a wall collision on Friday, and fellow catcher Jair Camargo.

Coming into Saturday, Vázquez had made 11 appearances there — including once this season already — across 19 1/3 innings, but never a start. The last time he started at the position before Saturday was Sept. 3, 2009 in the minor leagues.

“He said ‘Let’s go,” Baldelli said of Vázquez’s reaction to being told he would play the position. “He’s not afraid. He is not lacking in his belief to play this game in any way, shape or form and rightfully so.”

They will call up Diego A. Castillo and add him to the roster. He’ll likely start with Correa expected to sit again. Correa’s availability for Tuesday’s All-Star Game is now in question.

Miranda, meanwhile, missed his second straight game after his back locked up on him pregame on Friday but a trip to the injured list could result in him missing minimal time with the All-Star break coming up.

“I’ll stay optimistic right now, but that would place him missing just actually one game, which is pretty amazing with the five-day All-Star break,” Baldelli said. “He’s going to have to feel better and he’s going to have to do what he needs to do to be activated then, but that’s where it would place him if he were able to come off at the minimum. He’s not moving around great. He’s a little tied up right now.”

Keaschall steps in

Lee was supposed to playing in the Futures Game, featured amongst the best prospects in Minor League Baseball.

Instead, he was replaced on the roster by Luke Keaschall, who went 0 for 1 in the Futures Game on Saturday in Arlington, Texas.

Keaschall, drafted by the Twins in the second round last season, is very worthy of the honor, hitting .327 with a .945 OPS across Class-A Advanced and Double-A this season. He has 102 hits in 84 games, including 11 home runs and 21 doubles.

The 21-year-old, who is currently ranked as the Twins’ No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, has primarily played a mix of second base and center field this season.

Briefly

Chris Paddack will take the ball on Sunday in the final game of the first half. He will be opposed by Blake Snell, who won the National League Cy Young Award last season, but is 0-3 with a 7.85 earned-run average, sandwiched around two stints on the injured list. The two were rotation-mates for the 2021 San Diego Padres.