After a scare with his knee last week, the Minnesota Twins are welcoming Byron Buxton back to their lineup for Thursday’s game against the Kansas City Royals.
The star center fielder got hurt before sliding into second base on a play last week.
His injury history is extensive, so everybody was holding their breath for a couple of days.
He managed to escape serious damage, though, and wound up missing only a few games.
“Byron Buxton is back. He’ll be the Twins’ designated hitter today,” St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Betsy Helfand tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
Byron Buxton is back. He’ll be the Twins’ designated hitter today. pic.twitter.com/n8ad95HdMi
— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) April 21, 2022
The Twins apparently want to give his right knee some extra time to fully heal before sending him to his customary center field position in Minnesota’s defensive alignment, but he should be back out there in no time.
For now, they will enjoy his potent bat with no defensive responsibilities.
The Twins Offense Needs Buxton
The Twins are hoping the return of Buxton can help kickstart what has been a mediocre offense.
Minnesota ranks 24th out of 30 teams with only 40 runs scored, far from the leaders, the Los Angeles Angels, with 65.
The Twins have talented hitters, like Carlos Correa, Max Kepler, Miguel Sano, and Gio Urshela.
However, no one, not even Correa, comes close to what Buxton can offer offensively.
He is a truly game-changing player: he can impact a game with his bat, his power, his arm, his speed, and his defense.
He is comfortably a top-15 player in baseball, and the Twins’ chances in 2022 largely depend on his health.
Before his knee injury, he was hitting .250 with five runs, three home runs, four RBI, and a stolen base.
He will look to keep adding to those totals.
NEXT: Carlos Correa Refuses To Panic About His New Offense