The Minnesota Twins will be in a rare spotlight when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa, on Thursday night. But if Twins fans were on the fence about tuning in, Byron Buxton may have just become another reason to Netflix and chill.
Buxton was activated from the 10-day injured list on Thursday afternoon and will be in center field. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi also adds that he will be added as the 27th player that both teams are permitted for Thursday’s game, delaying a corresponding roster move until the series resumes on Saturday night at Target Field.
While the game may have some weather delays, Buxton’s return is good news and could help Minnesota launch some balls over the fence (or in this case, into the corn) as they head down the stretch.
Byron Buxton’s return is a big boost for the Twins lineup (and the Field of Dreams game)
Buxton’s return is a welcome sight for the Twins lineup. After enjoying a rebound season where he hit .264/.327/.551 with 35 homers, 83 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 126 games in 2025, he’s picked up where he left off, hitting .263/.320/.544 with 25 homers, 45 RBI and seven stolen bases in 82 games this season.
While the performance led to his second straight All-Star selection and third overall, Buxton had to miss this year’s game in Philadelphia after his troublesome hip flared up just before the break. While he returned shortly after the All-Star break, he went just 4-for-25 with a walk and five strikeouts in 27 plate appearances in seven games before leaving a 3-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on July 28.
Still, the Twins lineup is better with Buxton in it than it is with him on the shelf. The Athletic’s Matt Gelb noted that Minnesota’s center fielders rank 16th in the majors with a .778 OPS while Buxton has been on the shelf and the Twins have had to rely on Luke Keaschall in his absence, who has a .908 OPS since July 1 but has also posted a minus-7 in defensive runs saved (DRS) over 23 games in center field this season.
With the added benefit of Buxton’s defense, he should add an all-around jolt to the Twins’ roster. It could also give the Field of Dreams game some extra star power as fellow All-Stars Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh Cristopher Sanchez, Jhoan Duran and Jesus Luzardo are on the Phillies roster.
The Twins will need Byron Buxton to take control in the AL playoff race
The biggest reason fans should be excited about Buxton’s return, however, is what it could do for their playoff dreams.
The Twins enter Thursday’s game 0.5 game back of the Texas Rangers for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. But they are also in a tight race where six teams are within the Rangers for that berth. Minnesota also has a difficult schedule coming up and it includes 12 straight games against the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox from Aug. 28 to Sept. 9.
The White Sox entered Thursday leading the American League Central 3.5 games ahead of the Twins for first place with a record of 62-57 and the Tigers are currently tied with the Twins and have two games in hand with a record of 59-61.
Buxton’s return should help Minnesota’s bid for a playoff spot and he returns to a team that added three pitchers – Dean Kremer, A.J. Minter, Jeff Hoffman – ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. If he’s past his hip problems, the Twins will have another big addition and it should lead to some must-watch baseball beginning with Thursday’s game in Iowa.
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