Twins CF Byron Buxton could return by this weekend
Buxton, who has been on the injured list with a right hip impingement since July 29, could return by this weekend.
"The plan is to see how he comes in tomorrow,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said, according to MLB.com's Matthew Leach. “We're just trying to get a sense of how he's recovering from all the activities, and then hopeful for activation within the next few days."
Buxton took on-field batting practice on Monday. He isn't expected to go on a minor-league rehab assignment before returning, per Leach.
The star center fielder reportedly ran around the bases, not at full speed, to see how he felt. Leach added that Buxton has been seeing how he feels when he stops or slows down, which has tended to bother him since he first started dealing with his hip problem in May.
“It was good,” Buxton said. “Felt good. So we’ll see what they say.”
Buxton missed several games in May due to his hip issue but originally avoided an IL stint. But shortly before the All-Star break in July, Minnesota placed the outfielder on the IL.
Buxton returned to the lineup on July 20. Unfortunately, he went 4-for-25 after being reinstated from the IL. Just eight days after being reinstated, Minnesota placed him on the IL again. Hopefully he returns this week, and his hip no longer bothers him. Many fans may want to see him play in Thursday's Field of Dreams Game in Iowa, but it seems more likely he would return on Saturday after Friday's off day.
Twins RHP Joe Ryan threw on flat ground
The Twins placed Ryan on the 15-day injured list on Friday with a left glute strain. Manager Derek Shelton told Leach that Ryan played catch on flat ground on Monday.
“I had a brief but very good conversation with him,” Shelton said. “I think we’re going to just have to see how it continues to progress. But the fact that he’s out there throwing is a very encouraging sign."
Ryan clearly hasn't been feeling right since returning from the All-Star break. The right-hander entered the break with a 2.85 ERA over 110 1/3 innings. He allowed 16 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings across three starts after the break, raising his ERA to 3.65. Ryan has typically struggled in the second half of the season, so it'll be interesting to see how he performs upon being reinstated from the IL.
Add us as a preferred source on Google