Tuesday's game for the Minnesota Twins didn't count, so much so that it ended in a tie. It's hard not see what happened as a massive victory, though, as Byron Buxton officially returned to the field for the first time in two years.
It seems unfathomable but we haven't seen Buxton play centerfield in the majors since August 2022, as he's battled injuries that have reduced his role with the team ever since. Last year felt like rock bottom, as Buxton didn't play a single inning in the field and struggled mightily at the plate to the point where he was shutdown with over a month left in the season.
He returned for a pinch hit at-bat in the ALDS but for the most part his last year and a half has pretty much been a wash. That's a streak that mercifully ended on Tuesday when he returned to the defensive lineup for Minnesota's game against the Phillies.
Watch Byron Buxton take centerfield for the first time since 2022
The Athletic's Dan Hayes both shared a video of Buxton taking center for the first time in 554 and also gave Twins fans a scare with his choice of words.
Here’s awful, awful video of Byron Buxton taking center field for the first time in 554 days. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/0koJZE5iih
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) February 27, 2024
Hayes' double use of 'awful' was in reference to how he felt about his cinematography, but fans had fun letting him know not to use that specific description when referring to anything about Buxton.
For the future of my blind faith in the Twins, please refrain from the words awful and center field when talking about Buxton. My brain cannot process the content faster than my freak out occurs.
— Max (@mnmax21) February 27, 2024
The dark humor comes from a deep pit of suffering Twins fans have been in ever since Buxton first encountered his latest injury woe. His health has long been a caveat to his success, as we've seen just how special Buxton can be when he's not hobbled by some sort of ailment.
Unfortunately it's been a while since we've seen him on an All-Star level, but all signs point to him returning to that this year. He proudly exclaimed at TwinsFest that he'd be fully healthy this year, which is as much a load off his mind as it is for fans.
A healthy Buxton is dangerous, but combine that with a guy who has a pretty sizable chip on his shoulder from being counted out by so many and all of a sudden the Twins have an MVP candidate on their hands.
Watching Buxton take center is hopefully a sign of how bright things are on the horizon. Carlos Correa is also expected to be as healthy as he's been since joining the Twins and those two guys will have the support of rising stars like Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis to help get things rolling.
Plenty of jokes were fired off over how Hayes presented his footage, but they were all tinged with anxiety that we're all hoping will be lifted this season.