Byron Buxton is nearing a return from the IL, according to multiple reports. Manager Derek Shelton even said the star center fielder could be activated for the Field of Dreams Game in Dyersville, Iowa, on Thursday.
“Tomorrow is a possibility,” Shelton said to reporters, including MLB.com's Matthew Leach, before Wednesday's win over the Orioles. “I don’t want to say tomorrow is the day. … As we continue to add volume, and Monday was the big day of adding a ton of volume. We’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
If not tomorrow, Buxton will likely return after the off day on Friday. Regardless, it appears the Twins' front office will have to remove someone from the active roster soon.
2 candidates to lose their roster spot when Twins CF Byron Buxton is reinstated from IL
OF Alan Roden
Roden may have saved his 26-man roster spot with his strong performance in the Twins' 7-5 win over the Orioles on Wednesday. The outfielder went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.
But before his strong Wednesday showing, Roden had an awful .192/.279/.212 slash line in 61 plate appearances since being recalled on July 7. Wednesday's performance may not have been enough to save Roden's roster spot.
The Twins may just demote Roden because he has options, and the Twins won't have room for him to play regularly upon Buxton's return. With Buxton in center, Trevor Larnach in left and Luke Keaschall in right, Roden will likely mainly be a bench bat if he keeps his spot on the roster. Minnesota may prefer to option Roden so he can receive regular playing time with Triple-A St. Paul.
C Alex Jackson
Jackson is out of options. Therefore, to remove him from the 26-man roster, the Twins would have to designate him for assignment and either trade him or expose him to waivers.
Jackson has had a solid season since having his contract selected in May, slashing .303/.333/.409 (109 wRC+) with one homer and five RBI over 69 plate appearances. But history suggests he will regress, as the backstop has a career .174/.252/.305 (56 wRC+) slash line over 509 MLB plate appearances.
Additionally, Jackson has rarely played since Ryan Jeffers returned from the IL roughly a month ago. The Twins already have a backup catcher in Victor Caratini, and while Jackson can play first base, so can Caratini.
It'll be interesting to see who loses their spot when Buxton returns. Optioning Roden would keep the 40-man roster intact, but the club doesn't really use Jackson much. However, Shelton may like having a third catcher on the bench for when both Jeffers and Caratini are in the lineup simultaneously.
Add us as a preferred source on Google