Byron Buxton Expected To Return To Center Field
11 months agoMinnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (knee) said he plans to be back in center field for the team in 2024 despite being limited to designated hitter duties in 2023. Buxton hasn't played center field since August of 2022 and he can't say for sure how often he'll be able to play center field in 2024. But for now, he's running three times a week, hitting at full strength and doing some outfield work. It comes after offseason surgery that included an excision of the plica in his right knee to address the pain that kept him from playing defense. The Twins are a lot more optimistic about Buxton's knee than they were heading into last spring training. The 30-year-old managed to his 17 home runs in 85 games, but his knee injury impacted his swing and he hit just .207 with a .731 OPS. Buxton said his swing feels "as close to normal as it's going to get," but he's become one of the biggest injury risks in all of baseball.
Source: MLB.com - Do-Hyoung Park
Source: MLB.com - Do-Hyoung Park