It was the seventh inning of a tied game on Sunday when Twins manager Rocco Baldelli turned the ball over to Josh Staumont. The Athletics had just rallied for two runs off Louie Varland and had runners on the corners. The Twins needed to stop the bleeding.

Staumont got his man.

And then he returned for the eighth inning, getting three batters to strike out swinging — all on the slider. Entering Wednesday, Staumont had thrown 15 1/3 innings without giving up an earned run since returning to the majors on May 8.

“When you’re coming off an injury and you’re still recovering, he was kind of at that in-between stage in spring training where he was still fighting to prove that he was ready to go when he was still working his way back in some ways,” Baldelli said. “He has made great strides.”

The veteran had thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last summer and began the season on the injured list with a calf strain before the Twins optioned him to Triple-A to let him work his way back.

But of late, he has been regaining his stuff, and he’s starting to work his way into a bigger role in the Twins’ bullpen.

“I’m starting at the bottom. They have to relearn me. They have to know me. I was fortunate enough to be with the Royals for parts of 10 years. They knew me, right?” Staumont said. “It was one of those things that coming here and being able to get your feet wet, understand that, learn the team, be part of the team, you just want it to grow. … It’s nice to start off on a good foot.”

It’s been a long process getting to this point. His four-seam fastball velocity (94.5 miles per hour) is still well below his average in previous seasons, but he did hit 98.9 mph with a pitch earlier this month as his velocity climbs. The higher numbers, he said, were “nice and encouraging.”

He has also massively increased his slider usage — entering Wednesday, he had thrown it 66.8 percent of the time, up from 22.5 percent a season before. Staumont called it a “usable,” and “consistent” pitch.

“His slider has become a good, reliable pitch for him both in the zone and for strikeouts. He’s having days where his velo is up and he’s throwing the ball the way he wants,” Baldelli said. “Hitters have always had a tough time squaring him up. He comes from a bit of a funny angle. He has very good stuff, and he’s a tough at-bat. He’s throwing the ball really well right now.”

And, he hopes, as he gets further and further from surgery, he’ll only get better.

Next year, he said, “is going to be a lot nicer,” but for now, the Twins are plenty happy with what they’ve been seeing lately.

“Every single time you go out there and you have something like the surgery that sets you back to the point where you don’t know if you can pick your arm up above your head again, everything is just a small win,” Staumont said.

Briefly

Simeon Woods Richardson will take the ball on Thursday opposed by former Twin Zack Littell, who is 2-5 with a 4.24 earned-run average for Tampa Bay this season. Littell was a reliever with the Twins from 2018-20. … Top prospect Brooks Lee hit three doubles on Wednesday, helping the Triple-A Saints to their eighth straight win.

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