Minnesota Twins' outfielder Byron Buxton told fans over the weekend that he'll be back in the outfield in the 2024 season.
He made the comments at the Twins FanFest events. The following comes from MLBTradeRumors, but includes a link to the original report (subscription required).
As noted by Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton assured fans at this weekend’s TwinsFest that the club’s star defender would be back in center field for the 2024 campaign.
That's notable because Buxton did nothing but play designated hitter in 2023 in an effort to keep him healthy. Unfortunately, it didn't really help, as Buxton still just played 85 games and was left off the initial Twins playoff roster.
Tantalizingly talented, injuries have always been an issue for Buxton. Since debuting in 2015, Buxton has played 100 or more games only once in his career (2017). Even in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he missed 21 of a possible 60 games.
Lifetime, he's a .239 hitter with 115 home runs. His best season from a power-standpoint came in 2022 when he hit 28 homers and made the All-Star Game for the only time.
This development is good for the Twins on multiple fronts. First, Buxton is known as a premium defender. Two, assuming that Michael A. Taylor leaves in free agency, the Twins no longer have a need in the outfield and three, it allows the team to better rotate the designated hitter, including the playoff hero Royce Lewis.
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