DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) 鈥� The reinstated All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton from the 10-day injured list before their game at the against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Buxton missed 14 games with a right hip impingement, his second stint this season on the injured list. The first stay prevented him from playing in the All-Star Game. He played in seven games after the break before being sidelined again, but the 32-year-old who has frequently battled injuries was batting second and playing center field on Thursday night.
Buxton went 1 for 4 with a double in the .
After heavy rain moved through the area earlier in the day, the Twins wanted to be extra careful with a potentially wet warning track before clearing their franchise player for action. Having an off day built into the series on Friday for travel to Minneapolis to play the remainder of the series at Target Field added some insurance to the plan.
鈥淗e looks good. He’s in a good spot,鈥� manager Derek Shelton said. 鈥淲e’re excited to have him back.鈥�
With less than one-fourth of the regular season remaining and the Twins in the thick of the division and wild-card races, there’ll be a balance down the stretch to find between keeping Buxton fresh and putting their best lineup on the field.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want another setback,鈥� Shelton said. 鈥淲ith Buck, there鈥檚 always going to be management, just because the guy鈥檚 a thoroughbred. He鈥檚 at top speed all of the time.鈥�
Major League Baseball allowed a 27th player for the special-site game, so the Twins didn鈥檛 have to make a corresponding roster move to open room for Buxton. He was batting .263 with 16 doubles, 25 home runs, 57 runs scored, 45 RBIs and an .864 OPS in 82 games this season before his latest stint on the injured list.
Buxton brought his family to the game and played catch at the ballfield site where the 1989 movie was filmed with his 12-year-old son, Brixton, allowing for some additional reflection on his journey from rural Georgia to being the second overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft by the Twins. He played in 2013 for their Class A affiliate in Cedar Rapids, about an hour’s drive south.
鈥淲hat Major League Baseball did to make this happen is pretty special,鈥� Buxton said. 鈥淵ou bring that little kid back into somebody that maybe wasn鈥檛 having the best year or things wasn鈥檛 going their way and this could be that spark that could turn that corner to relive that passion for them again.
“It鈥檚 a special place for us to be able to play in, for sure.鈥�
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