Byron Buxton is back at the right time for the Minnesota Twins, and the timing could hardly be better.
After missing the All-Star Game with a hip impingement, Buxton returned for seven games following the break before the same injury sent him back to the injured list. He has been out since July 28, but now the Twins outfielder is set to rejoin the club for Thursday night’s Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa.
Buxton’s season has been productive when he’s been on the field. Through 82 games, he is hitting .263 with an .864 OPS, and he has already piled up 25 home runs.
He had pushed his fWAR to 3.0 before a rough week knocked it back to 2.6 ahead of his latest injured list stint. If he stays healthy the rest of the way, he could make a run at the 35 homers he hit last season.
The injury itself has been tied to the way Buxton has had to slow down. His straight-line speed remains a weapon, but deceleration has been the issue, and it was a stolen base slide that landed him back on the injured list. Derek Shelton will be hoping to avoid any more of those as the season continues.
The Twins could use the boost. At 60-62, they have spent most of the year trying to climb over the hump and stay there. If they want their trade deadline additions to matter, they need a run of wins.
Minnesota’s outfield picture has not been especially smooth without Buxton. Luke Keaschall has been learning centerfield on the fly while putting up a .716 OPS.
Alan Roden has posted a .614 OPS, and Austin Martin has a .687 OPS. There is also room for the Twins to bring up top prospect Walker Jenkins alongside Buxton, though they do not appear ready to go that route.
So for now, the Twins will lean on the one move that can change the feel of the lineup immediately: getting Buxton back. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best players in the sport, and Minnesota needs him on the field for the stretch run if it wants any shot at competing.
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But Martins burst only sharpens the conversation around where the Twins go next with him, because the bigger sample since mid-May has been much harder to ignore. Minnesota still has a clear path to send him to Triple-A and let him rebuild some rhythm there, which is part of why his roster spot feels less secure than a big night might suggest. The question now is whether the Twins decide that one good game should buy Martin more time, or whether they see a chance to reset him before the struggles linger any longer. [Read more 🡒]