The Saints could be near full-strength for Saturday's sudden-death match at the MCG, with midfielder Seb Ross also pressing his case to return.
Star forward Max King, who missed the final-round trip to Brisbane, had already been ruled as a certainty to face the Giants.
"The pre-finals bye has been beneficial as we look to strengthen our list and have as many players as possible available for the upcoming month," St Kilda's acting football boss David Misson said.
"We're also hopeful that Seb Ross will be available for selection, he'll just need to pass a few fitness tests this week."
Howard hasn't played since suffering a fractured wrist against North Melbourne in round 19.
Battle played against the Lions at the Gabba a fortnight ago, but was subbed out of that match with concussion.
The pre-finals bye has allowed Battle to come out of the mandatory 12-day concussion protocols.
The only downside for St Kilda was luckless big man Jack Hayes suffering a season-ending calf injury at training last week.
Hayes played his first AFL game in more than a year against Brisbane after recovering from ACL surgery.
"It was great to see Jack back at AFL level in round 24, but his recovery since that game hasn't been linear," Misson said.
St Kilda had a closed training session on the MCG on Tuesday as they prepare for their first final at the venue since the 2010 grand final replay.
The Saints last played finals in 2020, with their two games taking place in Queensland due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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