SEATTLE – The Twins took one more step closer to a full-strength lineup on Friday, when Byron Buxton was reinstated from the 7-day concussion injured list. He wasted little time reminding them of what they had been missing.
Looking like he hadn’t missed a minute, Buxton made a catch at the wall in the fourth inning, then singled, stole second and scored the tying run in the ninth as the Twins rallied for a 12-6 win against the Mariners.
“We missed him,” said Carlos Correa, who collided with Buxton on May 15 on the play that sent both men to the concussion IL. “We missed him. He’s a difference maker. It’s good to have him back. He’s definitely a difference maker in this game.”
Minnesota optioned Carson McCusker to Triple-A St. Paul to make room for Buxton.
With the activation of Buxton, the Twins have only one everyday player on the injured list for the first time all year -- Matt Wallner, who continues to trend well and could be very close to being activated.
Buxton participated in simulated game action on Wednesday during the team’s game in Tampa, a key step to show that he was ready to participate in a game. He was inserted in the leadoff spot and his customary position in center field for Friday night’s game against the Mariners.
“It feels good just to be able to get back in the lineup and get back to being myself,” Buxton said.
The exact plan for Buxton going forward remains to be determined and will depend at least partly on how he comes out of his first couple of games. He had been off to an outstanding start before the collision.
“It’s great for us,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “Both sides of the ball, he does so many wonderful things for us. He’s also been out for close to two weeks so we’re going to let him get his feet back under him and just get him some at-bats and all that but we’re going to stick him in the leadoff spot and let him go do his thing.”
It’s as close as the Twins have come all year to having their full lineup. They began the season with Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee on the injured list and lost Wallner to a left hamstring strain two days after Lee was activated.
Wallner has been playing superbly on his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A St. Paul, hitting five home runs in six games. He received a scheduled day off on Friday, and the club is not divulging when he is expected to return to the active roster.
“He is having no issues with his hamstring,” said head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta. “Doing great. He's played in the outfield -- the last three days he played twice and he DH’d the middle day. Today was a scheduled off-day. …
“I think there’s a number of at-bats we’d like to see him get to, and if we’re there, we’re there. He’s done well with the three days in a row. That’s kind of where we’ve always gone with that process.”
Coulombe update
Reliever Danny Coulombe is also progressing well in his recovery from a strain of the extensor muscle in his left forearm. Though he is eligible to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list this weekend, it will still be some time before he is activated.
Coulombe is not with the club and is scheduled to throw a bullpen session “in the next few days,” according to Paparesta. The next step after that would be another mound session, and then the Twins would assess his status. Paparesta declined to put a time frame on Coulombe, but those plans would seem to rule out a return before the end of the road trip.