MINNEAPOLIS — In a place once propelled by Carlos Correa’s presence, the Houston Astros continued to crater in his absence. Left ankle surgery prevented Correa from returning to Target Field for the first time since being part of the Minnesota Twins’ selloff during last year’s trade deadline.Without Correa, both of these clubs are mired in misery. Minnesota’s is by design. Houston’s is unintended and unrelenting.Losing a series to the Twins dropped the injury-ravaged Astros 11 games below .500 and squandered any momentum they may have generated after taking two of three against the Texas Rangers last weekend.“It’s a long season and you know there’s going to be ups and downs,” designated hitter Yordan Alvarez said through an interpreter after Wednesday’s 4-1 loss. “Right now, we’re struggling a little bit. Right now is a down moment, but it’s a long season.”On Wednesday, Alvarez finished hitless. Houston’s limited roster is not constructed to overcome that result. It is an unfair burden to place on Alvarez’s broad shoulders, but it is the realistic state of this reeling offense. His .694 OPS in May is an inauspicious number. It is also the highest of any qualified Houston hitter.The Astros have scored three or fewer runs in 15 of their first 19 May games. Only two lineups have worked fewer walks and just three have more strikeouts. The patience, plate discipline and pass the baton mantra that carried the Astros through April has disappeared during this dismal May.“We’re not really forcing them to give us pitches to hit,” said manager Joe Espada, whose team struck out 15 times on Wednesday. “We need to start controlling more of our at-bats and the outcome of our at-bats.“You go through stretches during the season where you kind of lose your identity of who you are as an offensive club. We have to highlight a few things, make those adjustments and get more quality at-bats back to back.”Solutions and shakeups do not seem imminent. Houston has exhausted what little position player depth it possesses — and has no upper-level prospects performing well enough to even warrant a call-up. One scout recently evaluated Triple-A Sugar Land and mused “there’s not a position player on the entire team.”Any improvement must come from within to reverse these trends.Alvarez must find and don his Superman cape. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes must seize advantage of being sandwiched around him in the batting order. Any of the team’s young outfielders must show a meaningful step forward.