Byron Buxton may be close to giving the Twins exactly what they’ve been missing.
Minnesota’s offense has already felt the absence. The club opened the second half with a 5-2 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, getting back to .500 for the first time since mid-April, but the last two games of the series went sideways fast. Sunday’s getaway game was the roughest of the bunch, with Zebby Matthews tagged for 8 earned runs in 3 innings before the bullpen took over with the Twins already buried by 10 runs.
That leaves Minnesota heading to Cleveland for four games against the Guardians, a stretch that could go a long way toward shaping the team’s approach at the MLB trade deadline on August 3. The Twins will enter the series four games behind Cleveland in the AL Central and two games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Drop three of four, or get swept, and the trade chatter around Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton figures to heat up quickly.
For now, though, Buxton is trending toward a return.
According to Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune, the Twins’ All-Star center fielder could be activated as soon as Monday in Cleveland. The report also says Buxton has been swinging since last Tuesday, working with former Twins hitting coach David Popkins before the All-Star Game, and increased his defensive workload Saturday with outfield coach Grady Sizemore.
Buxton is on the injured list with a right hip strain, but the issue has been building since early May. He didn’t go on the IL until the week before the All-Star break, when he aggravated it again sliding into second on a stolen-base attempt.
A couple days later, he landed on the injured list and missed his chance to start in center field for the American League in the All-Star Game. Buxton said then that getting healthy for the stretch run mattered more, especially with the trade deadline and the months beyond it looming.
The Twins have felt his absence in a big way. In Chicago, they scored just three runs over the final two games of the series without their lone offensive All-Star.
Before the injury, Buxton was hitting .271 with a .904 OPS, 25 home runs and 45 RBI in 75 games. If he were to return Monday and stay in the lineup for the final 62 games, he’d finish with 137 games played, which would top last season’s 126 and mark his healthiest year since 2017.
That’s not the expectation, of course. Buxton’s track record makes that part of the story impossible to ignore. But when he’s on the field, the Twins know what they’re getting: a 31-year-old star who can change the shape of a lineup.
And right now, that’s the whole point. If Buxton is back and playing at the level he’s shown over the past couple of seasons, Minnesota has a real chance to keep itself in the race.
If the front office can also add pitching at the deadline, the Twins could make things interesting down the stretch. None of it matters, though, unless their 3x All-Star and former Gold Glover is out there.
In Other News...
Byron Buxton's Return Forces Twins Into A Telling Roster Decision
Byron Buxton is back on the Twins active roster after being reinstated from the 10-day injured list, a timely boost for a club trying to stay in the playoff mix. Minnesota cleared room by sending infielder Tristan Gray to Triple-A St. Paul, a straightforward roster shuffle on paper but one that reflects how much value the Twins still place on Buxtons presence in center field.
Buxton had been sidelined since July 5 with a right hip strain, and his return comes at a moment when every healthy regular matters. The Twins are still in contention and trying to navigate a crucial stretch before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, so getting Buxton back now gives them a needed spark while also forcing a few more roster questions into the background. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Trade Deadline Pressure Is Starting To Feel Very Real
With the August 3 trade deadline drawing closer, the Twins are trying to push forward as buyers even while the standings keep the pressure on. General manager Jeremy Zoll said trade talks are picking up around the league, and Minnesotas priorities are clear enough: the club wants help on the mound, with injuries having thinned out the pitching staff and left the front office looking for ways to steady the roster for the stretch run.
Byron Buxtons expected return would give the lineup a needed lift, but the bigger question is whether the Twins can do enough before the deadline to make the rest of the season matter. Sitting at 49-51, they are close enough to the race to justify adding, but not so secure that every loss does not sharpen the urgency, especially if the search for rotation help has to happen against a crowded market. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Ryan Made The Nelson Cruz Trade Look Even Better For Twins
Five years after the Twins sent Nelson Cruz and Calvin Faucher to Tampa Bay, the deal has aged into one of those trades that looks better with every passing season in Minnesota. The return brought back Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman, and while Cruz helped the Rays in their 2021 run, Ryan has become the far more important piece for the Twins, developing into a pitcher the organization can build around.
Ryans rise has been about more than just results. From the start of his big league career, he flashed the kind of upside that made the trade feel worthwhile, and since then he has kept adding layers to his game. He has worked his way from a fastball-heavy approach into a more complete mix, with his development at Driveline Baseball helping shape the version of him the Twins now rely on, which only makes the original swap look even more lopsided in their favor. [Read more 🡒]