Although the 70-92 record largely reflects a failure of a season, there was still plenty of positives to take away. Minnesota will highlight those during their offseason Diamond Awards ceremony this winter, but the recipients were revealed on Wednesday.

Diamond Awards winners highlight best of 2025 Minnesota Twins

It should be pretty expected that Bryon Buxton was the Minnesota Twins best player this season. He is going to get down-ballot MVP votes, and will earn contract incentive bonuses because of it. He’s not the only standout though, and the local BBWAA chapter voted on the yearly Diamond Awards that were made public this week.

Of course Byron Buxton was awarded with the team MVP. The results of the vote are not made public, but that should have been unanimous. Across 126 games he batted .264/.327/.551 with a career-high seven triples, 35 homers, and 83 RBI. With any level of help, Buxton would have led the Twins into a deep postseason run.

Buxton’s selection as Defensive Player of the Year likely represents an unwillingness to vote for since-departed players. Harrison Bader was traded to the Phillies, but he was easily Minnesota’s best fielder this season. Buxton as a second choice is hardly a misstep however.

There isn’t much of a surprise anywhere across the totality of these awards. Austin Martin being named the most improved player is a reflection of him capitalizing on late-season opportunity. After dealing with injury early in 2025, he finished with 50 games played and a .282/.374/,365 slash line. That will earn him an Opening Day roster spot in 2026, and he turned the arc of his career around.

Michael Busch, who played in the postseason with the Chicago Cubs, was named the Upper Midwest Player of the Year. The Inver Grove Heights native batted .261/.343/.523 with 34 home runs. Chicago was bounced from the postseason by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Twins will host the Diamond Awards ceremony on January 23, 2026 at Target Field during TwinsFest Live! The event will be followed by TwinsFest on the 24-25.

At 51-57, the Twins still have 54 games to play in the regular season. They aren’t going to make the playoffs, but they still have to field a team (likely against the Pohlad’s better wishes).

After dealing away 11 players, ten of which were on the big league roster, the minor league system had to be shuffled. Thankfully the St. Paul Saints are in Toledo, just a two-hour drive, and a gaggle of their talent is headed to Progressive field.

Rocco Baldelli gets nine players to fill out MN Twins active roster

The Guardians are still going to take the field on Friday night against the MN Twins, and that means Baldelli needs a 26-man roster. That requires a significant amount of maneuvering, but at least the incoming Saints could carpool.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/2EQQgeE19V

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 1, 2025

Martin will be making his 2025 Twins debut. He was left off the Opening Day roster, and injuries cost him multiple opportunities for a promotion early on. In 32 games for St. Paul Martin has hit .319/.431/.398. He doesn’t hit for power, and he isn’t stealing bases, but he’s worked as a slap-hitting utility player.

The MN Twins demoted Julien after a poor start to the season. It took a while for him to get going at Triple-A. Over his last 43 games though, he is batting .320/.432/.582 with 10 homers. He’s still got a good command of the strike zone, and appears to be a bit more aggressive.

Adams and Ohl are quick returned after both were recently optioned. They are joined by veteran pitchers Erasmo Ramirez and Jose Urena making their Minnesota Twins debuts. Urena and Ramirez needed their contracts to be purchased and added to the 40-man roster.

Related: What to Make of the Craziest Trade Deadline in Minnesota Twins History

Taj Bradley was assigned to the St. Paul Saints roster. He will likely slot into the starting rotation for Minnesota at some point in the not-so-distant future. Bailey Ober should join him, and likely beat him there.

The only new face to come from outside the organization is Alan Roden. A former third round pick for Toronto, Roden has played 43 games as a rookie this season. He owns a .204/.283/.306 slash line with one home run and a 24/8 K/BB.

Manager Rocco Baldelli set the starting rotation over a week ago, but the rest of the roster has been more in flux, due to injuries all over the infield and in the bullpen. Monday, however, has brought more clarity to the Opening Day roster than anything we’ve seen since the starters were set.

Two New Minnesota Twins make Opening Day roster

In somewhat suprise fashion, two career minor leaguers were told on Monday by Rocco Baldelli that they will make the final cut for the 2025 Minnesota Twins Opening Day roster, which will be on display for the first time this Thursday, in St. Louis.

DaShawn Keirsey Jr. has also been informed that he has made the Opening Day roster.

— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) March 24, 2025

Mickey Gasper showed us a picture of a nasty cut but says he’s doing okay after getting six stitches. He was just informed he’s making the roster.

— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) March 24, 2025

The Minnesota Twins traded for Mickey Gasper over the offseason, and he spent Spring Training proving himself as every bit the versatile utility man they were hoping to get when they traded for him earlier this offseason

Gasper played in 13 games for the Boston Red Sox last season, as a 28-year-old rookie. He slashed .308/.417/.487 this spring in 17 games. Gasper is still looking for his first big league hit, but he’ll have an opportunity to play multiple positions with Minnesota as he seeks that milestone.

Mickey Gasper makes MN Twins roster after stitches

His spot on the roster was put in question, when Gasper suffered a serious cut on his ankle after he ran into shortstop Brandon Winokur going for a ground ball on the other side of 2nd base, Sunday. He needed six stitches and left the ballpark on crutches. Clearly, the MN Twins are confident he’ll be find.

Guess who’s making the Twins Opening Day roster?! pic.twitter.com/BqPFEcSJXb

— Ted (@tlschwerz) March 23, 2025

Similar to Gasper, Keirsey Jr. is a late-blooming prospect. He made his major league debut last season at 27 years old. The outfielder went just 2-for-13 but launched his first big league home run. This spring Keirsey Jr. owns a .275/.375/.375 line in 18 games.

DeShawn Keirsey Jr makes Twins roster too

Still, DaShawn Keirsey Jr’s spot on the roster has been more in question. Outfield hasn’t hasn’t seen the same injury issues as the infield. All he had to do was beat out former first round pick Austin Martin, who was optioned down to Triple A on Monday. Keirsey Jr, a former 4th round draft pick out of Utah, gets rewarded for a strong spring.

What also hurt Keirsey’s chances of making the roster was his left-handedness. Both Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner are left-handed. The Twins would have preferred another righty option in the outfield.

Related: Failed Twins Experiment is Back in the AL Central

Nonetheless, Baldelli & Co opted to bring his best talent, not lineup fit. Keirsey Jr. and Harrison Bader on either side of Byron Buxton in center field would make for arguably the best defensive outfield in baseball.

Minnesota can also utilize Keirsey Jr.’s speed on the basepaths. He went 3-for-4 stealing bases during Grapefruit League action. Last season, at Triple-A St. Paul, Keirsey Jr. went 36-for-43 on stolen base attempts.

Offensive/Defensive depth chart set for Minnesota Twins

Austin Martin’s transition to the outfield is still a work in progress. Last season, Martin was worth -13 defensive runs saved -7 outs above average, while playing outfield. That hurt him this spring, when competing with Keirsey Jr.

More time at St. Paul will give Martin an ability to continue refining his new position. Across 16 Grapefruit League games, Martin slashed .275/.333/.325. Minnesota begins the regular season on Thursday March 27th in St. Louis against the Cardinals First pitch is set for 3:15pm CT.

Both Brooks Lee (back) and Royce Lewis (hamstring) will start the year on the injured list for the Minnesota Twins. The former should be back sooner than the latter, but Baldelli will be hoping he gets a pair of his top talents back in short order.

Brock Stewart is not going to be in the bullpen this week, after he suffered a hamstring injury earlier in camp. He’s back on the mound and pitching in spring games again, but he is being handled carefully after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. 

Then, there’s former top prospect Brooks Lee, who was scratched from the MN Twins’ lineup last week with a back injury, a chronic issue he’ll have to learn how to maintain if he’s going to have a successful Big League career. But with Opening Day taking place this week in St. Louis, the final 26-man roster is starting to take shape.

Minnesota Twins make decisions on Brooks Lee and Eiberson Castellano

After Lee was scratched on Thursday, the MN Twins suggested his status was day-to-day. Unfortunately, his chronic back pain will not allow him to return that early, and it’s almost certain, at this point, that he too misses Opening Day.

#MNTwins roster starting to take shape. Rule 5 pitcher Eiberson Castellanos has learned he won't make the team. Brock Stewart and Brooks Lee are starting the season on the IL.
Four players for three spots on position side.
One reliever job up for grabs.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) March 23, 2025

Lee struggled during his first season at the big league level. Across 50 games as a rookie, the 2022 No. 8 overall pick batted slashed a frustrating .221/.265/.320 with 10 extra-base hits (three home runs) and a 27/11 K/BB.

As a prospect, Lee has crushed fastballs. He’s a pure hitter who makes a lot of solid contact. That got lost last season, which could have been a byproduct of his back issues. The hope would be that Minnesota can get him right quickly this time around, and he can be a viable option for the majority of the season.

Related: Minnesota Twins Pitcher to Begin Season on Injured List

Another announcement came with the Lee news in the form of a Rule 5 decision. Eiberson Castellano was the Phillies minor league pitcher of the year last season and got scooped up by Minnesota. Across 10 2/3 innings during Grapefruit League play, Castellano put up a 13/10 K/BB and sealed his fate.

The Twins likely wanted to carry Castellano, but they needed to see enough from him to warrant it. Now Minnesota must expose Castellano back to waivers. If he clears, then they could attempt to work out a trade with Philadelphia. They did have preliminary talks prior to selecting him in the Rule 5 Draft, so that remains a possible outcome.

What do the Minnesota Twins do with their bullpen?

Things have changed quite a bit since our latest roster projection. Royce Lewis is going to begin the year on the injured list. Stewart and Lee will join him there. Minnesota needed to make eight more decisions as of Saturday night. Castellano and Lee cross two off that list.

The bullpen options remaining in camp include veterans Scott Blewett and Anthony Misiewicz. The former pitched for Minnesota last season and has had a good spring. He has a 5/2 K/BB across six innings. However, Blewett has been informed he will not make the team.

Related: Chronic Back Injury Causing Problems for MN Twins Infielder Again

The latter has 115 2/3 major league innings under his belt, and a 7/1 K/BB this spring. He is a viable option for the final bullpen spot. Minnesota will also be scouring the waiver wire to see who is released. Another path forward could be to recall someone like Kody Funderburk, who was previously cut from camp.

Misiewicz is with the Twins as a non-roster invitee. He signed as a free agent this offseason. Like Funderburk, Misiewicz is left-handed and would give Minnesota a second southpaw to pair with Danny Coulombe in relief.

Who takes the final position player spot for the Twins?

On the position player side of things it comes down to the group of Mickey Gasper, Austin Martin, DaShawn Keirsey Jr., Armando Alvarez, Edouard Julien, and Mike Ford. Gasper looked to already have an inside track, and Julien gets helped by Lee’s injury. The final outfield spot is where the most contentious battle comes.

Keirsey Jr. has had a solid spring with a .243/.356/.351 slash line. He’s a better outfielder than Martin, and is arguably the same or better speed threat. Unfortunately he’s left-handed and that puts him at a disadvantage considering Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner’s handedness.

DaShawn Keirsey Jr. drives in the go-ahead run vs. #RedSox. Twins end up with the 2-1 win.

Keirsey has more than earned a shot at considerable time in the majors this year. Opportunity awaits.#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/nMMALbHfiM

— Talkin' Twins (@TalkinTwins) March 21, 2025

Martin has batted just .243/.310/.270 across 43 plate appearances this spring. He won’t ever hit for power, but is a contact guy who utilizes his speed and has successfully stolen three bases in three attempts this spring. It seems like being right-handed will give him the role, but Minnesota could decide otherwise.

Related: New MN Twins Starting Outfielder Named 2025 Breakout Candidate

Rocco Baldelli has just a couple of days left to set his Opening Day roster. The Minnesota Twins are projected to win the AL Central this season. Even with a few bumps coming out of the spring, they are well-positioned. The good news, at least for now, is that none of these injury issues seem to be too incredibly long term.

The marathon towards October is about to kick off. Minnesota must run it in a much more complete fashion than they did last season.

There’s some good news for you, though. Major League Baseball agrees and they’ve been altering the rules of the game, in order to generate more of that action that classic baseball fans miss, adding a pitch clock, making bases bigger and limiting the number of times pitchers can throw over.

All of these changes have come to try and make the game of baseball more exciting. Some teams have leaned into those changes, others have not. And when it comes to stealing more bases, the Twins have decided not to use recent rule changes to their advantage.

Related: How to Watch the Minnesota Twins Spring Training in 2025

Minnesota Twins players want to steal more bases

Last Spring Training, Royce Lewis voiced his desire to steal more bases. Byron Buxton also entered spring training 2024 trying to steal 30+ bases. But then… the regular season eventually started and the Minnesota Twins NEVER ran, finishing dead last in Major League Baseball with 65 total stolen bases on the year.

For more context, the Washington Nationals led the MLB in steals last season, successfully stealing 223 bases. That’s 158 more than the Twins, but who is counting? Heading into 2025, speedsters on the Twins roster are speaking out.

Even those who are no longer on the team want to see more action, including MLB legend Rod Carew, who stole 353 career bags during his 19 MLB seasons. He can’t stand the Twins’ refusal to run and has challenged Byron Buxton to steal 60 bases this season, which would be only five short of the entire team in 2024.

Carew: “I see guys who can run who aren’t running. I don’t know why they’re not. But I do wish they would,” said Carew, who reiterated his goal of “50 or 60” for Buxton. “If you get a good jump, if you read the pitcher and time it well, you should have success. But I guess it’s all analytics.”

Buxton: “He told me, ‘If you don’t steal 60 [bases], I might not speak to you next spring! He’s been on me about it. When he starts wagging that finger, what are you gonna say?”

Star Tribune

Royce Lewis, who was safe in six-of-seven steal attempts during 2023, didn’t get a single opportunity last season. In 2017 Buxton went 29-of-30 in stolen base attempts and has been given double-digit opportunities just twice in the seven seasons since.

It’s fair to suggest that the game today isn’t the same game it was years ago. Batters are looking to make the most out of each swing and waiting on baserunners can make that a lot more difficult. Still, the MLB is literally making rules that make stealing bases easier. How long are we going to ignore it?

Related: Minnesota Twins Offseason Gets Dismal Grade From Expert

Twins utility man Austin Martin has speed and told reporters, “every time I get on, I want to run”. Problem is, the Minnesota Twins have yet to give him the green light. Martin went on to say, “we focus a lot on slugging and OPS, but to be a good baseball team, the more we can use our athleticism.” Unfortunately, he’s barking up the wrong tree.

MN Twins leadership not interested in stolen bases

Twins president Derek Falvey’s first response on the stolen bases question was, “it’s hard to steal many bases if you don’t have the speed for it.” That’s certainly true, and the Twins have been one of the slower teams in baseball the past few years.

But there is still plenty of speed on this roster and Falvey knows that. Opportunities to steal are there. The Minnesota Twins just aren’t interested. Eventually, Falvey admitted to Miller that stealing bases is just not something this organization really cares about.

“Taking that chance doesn’t have as much upside as we probably wish it did. For certain parts of our lineup, doubles and [home runs] is a better way to score. … In the current game, stealing bases is not as prominent. It’s a part of our offensive strategy, just not a core part. There are moments when it’s a valuable option, but it’s not something we prioritize over everything else.”

Twins President Derek Falvey on stealing bases (quote via Star Tribune)

The former Blue Jays top prospect has never, and will never, be a power hitter. He often finds himself at first base and his speed is an asset to use on the basepaths. As a rookie, he went just 7-of-10 when attempting to steal, and the 70% threshold is not good enough to succeed at the big league level. That said, he did successfully take 76 bases on 91 attempts while in the minors.

Carlos Correa moving better

Don’t expect superstar Carlos Correa to rip off a bunch of stolen bases. He racked up 27 during the first two seasons of his big league career and then realized he isn’t fast. In the 857 games since, Correa has stolen just six bases (in eight attempts), and has not done so successfully since 2019.

Minnesota doesn’t really care if Correa can deceive the opposition this season. The focal point here is being available and remaining on the field with a pair of healthy feet. Last season Correa played in just 86 games while dealing with plantar fasciitis again.

Although it took a while for his heel pain to go away, Correa is in the best spot he has been for quite some time.

“I’ve been feeling really good. You know me. When you have those types of [foot] injuries…you have to focus every single day of the offseason on getting it right and talking to doctors. I saw a lot of people…We found the right ingredients to get it right. I’m in a really good spot right now.”

Carlos Correa on his foot (MLB)

Related: New Twins Hitting Coaches Mandating More Preparation and Structure

Correa and Baldelli both talked to MLB’s Bill Ladson in regards to his current situation. It appears as though the nagging foot issues is in the rearview mirror. That is great news for both Minnesota and the star shortstop. Prior to the problem the past two seasons, back issues are the only thing that have kept the World Series winner out of the lineup.

Minnesota Twins Carlos Correa switched to Shohei Ohtani’s New Balance cleats last year after the Jordan Retro 1’s caused feet problems for him.

Looks like he’s back in Nike’s this season (he has a sponsorship deal with them). pic.twitter.com/FCwu2hWwlP

— Ted (@tlschwerz) February 17, 2025

There is a new focus for the Twins offense this season, and health is imperative for Baldelli’s top players. The more they can distance themselves from previous injury issues the better. If this group is able to remain healthy through the year, it’s going to certainly cause problems for the rest of the division.

The Twins will largely look the same from a roster standpoint in 2025. Rocco Baldelli will have different digits to work with when filling out his lineup card, though.

New numbers for multiple Minnesota Twins

We’re less than a month from pitchers and catchers reporting to Fort Myers for Spring Training. When the Minnesota Twins take the field, a couple of players will have new numbers. Six players will be changing the digits on their jersey.

New (jersey) number, who dis? pic.twitter.com/Ii8ptLTkdQ

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) January 15, 2025

It’s not new that rookies are assigned uniform numbers based on availability. Only Simeon Woods Richardson, of this group, wore his for more than one season. With appearances in both 2022 and 2023, 78 followed him for quite a bit.

Related: Minnesota Twins Sign Boatload of 2025 International Free Agents

Helman takes Nick Gordon’s number, and the hope is that he can be more productive than the former #1. Tsuyoshi Nishioka is probably the most infamous wearer of #1 in Twins franchise history, and we all know how that went.

Brooks Lee wearing #2 reminds me of this legend pic.twitter.com/tzaOqSvTma

— Ryan Linderholm (@LinderholmRyan) January 15, 2025

No one wore number two last year, but Lee will don it in 2025. There have been some very good second baseman in recent franchise history to use that digit. Both Luis Arraez and Brian Dozier come to mind, and its cool to see Lee now have it.

Both Martin and Keirsey Jr. leave their 80’s behind. Martin takes over 16, which was worn by newly hired Twins front office employee Ehire Adrianza. 21, which is Keirsey Jr.’s new number, has been worn by players such as Delmon Young, Eric Milton, and even Pat Mahomes.

There have been a bunch of players to wear 24 for just a single season. Woods Richardson should have it for longer than that. Maybe you can even repurpose an old Trevor Larnach uniform.

Related: “Full-Go” Brooks Lee Preparing for Unknown Role with Twins… but Back Injury Still Lingers

The last member of the group, Jair Camargo, opted to stay with a high number. He will rock 77, which has only previously been used by four players in franchise history.

Related: How to Watch Minnesota Twins in 2024

A big shuffle for the Minnesota Twins roster

As the Minnesota Twins continue to rearrange deck chairs on their sinking Titanic, Wednesday saw another handful of roster moves. Matt Wallner is headed to the injured list ending his season. He joins Max Kepler there. Austin Martin is taking his spot, and a pair of relievers are rejoining the active roster.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/Vns3EWwzes

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 25, 2024

Justin Topa, when he makes an appearance in a game, will become the first piece of the Twins Jorge Polanco trade to play this season. Anthony DeSclafani never threw a big league pitch, and Gabriel Gonzalez is on the farm. Topa owned a 2.61 ERA last season for the Mariners and was expected to be a key cog in the Twins bullpen. His knee issues prevented that from happening, and now he’ll have just a few games to make an impact.

Related: Max Kepler’s Minnesota Twins Career is Over

Just last week the Twins optioned Jorge Alcala to make room for Cole Irvin. It was an odd decision at the time, and resulted in Irvin being completely worthless on the big league roster. He posted a 12.27 ERA across four appearances while losing a game for Minnesota. Alcala has struggled down the stretch, but his stuff has never been as poor as Irvin’s was.

Justin Topa, Painted 97mph Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/uBZ1AGLM9E

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 13, 2023

The trio of moves reeks of desperation, and that’s ultimately the situation Minnesota finds themselves in. Martin is a capable outfield defender but certainly won’t make up the offensive production lost by Wallner. Topa needed to be in the bullpen weeks ago to save a struggling unit. Irvin never deserved a place on the big league roster in the first place, and Alcala was the fall guy.

Related: Carlos Correa Calls Out Minnesota Twins Teammates for Not Caring Enough

At this point Minnesota needs to go 5-0 the rest of the way and hope the Kansas City Royals falter. It’s a bad situation that they put themselves in. It’s also the bed they made and now they need to lay in it.

Kirilloff got off to a strong start this season, but that quickly went in the tank and Alex hasn’t been the same hitter since the start of May. At some point, with an option remaining, he was going to force the Twins’ hand.

Kirilloff’s vacancy on the active roster opens a 26-man roster spot that will reportedly be filled by 2020 No. 5 overall pick, Austin Martin.

Austin Martin coming up, per source. https://t.co/qeZmREIYnD

— Declan Goff (@DexsTweets) June 13, 2024

Martin is a contact hitter that doesn’t strike out, and his ability to get on base is impressive. While he does own an .818 OPS since he last option to Triple-A, a significant portion of the positive in that was generated immediately.

Alex Kirilloff sent down, Austin Martin called up by Minnesota Twins

Over the course of his last eight games entering Wednesday, Martin had gone just 5-for-26 with a .545 OPS. His 4/7 K/BB is impressive, but he’s generated zero extra-base hits. In replacing Kirilloff with Martin, the Twins get a versatile outfielder that brings a level of speed back to their active roster.

He’s not going to factor in at first base, which means Carlos Santana and Jose Miranda are the lone options there. Martin isn’t a lights out defender in the outfield, either, but he can play a decent left and center field, which is where Baldelli should be expected to deploy him.

Related: Looks Like Edouard Julien is Odd Man Out for Twins with Royce Lewis Returning

It’s unfortunate that wrist injuries have sapped a level of power that Kirilloff should have been expected to show. As a guy who could certainly be a solid average hitter, he has struggled to show that at a consistent level, as well.

Headed back to Triple-A for a reset, Alex Kirilloff falls behind Trevor Larnach in the Minnesota Twins’ young corner outfielder / designated hitter / 1st baseman pecking order. It’s likely he even sits behind Matt Wallner, at this point.

Wallner, who made the Twins Opening Day roster, has come on strong of late, grabbing at least one hit in nine of his last ten games at St. Paul. Thus, it is somewhat surprising he wasn’t the choice for Kirilloff in a swap, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him earn a trip back up ahead of Kirilloff.

If DaShawn Keirsey Jr. can get healthy as well, despite not being on the 40-man roster, he could factor into the promotion conversation also. Kirilloff has been expected to be so much more than what we have seen thus far. Health has impacted that for sure, but it’s definitely getting late early with regards as to what to make of his career.

Byron Buxton back in Minnesota Twins outfield?

Byron Buxton has played a pair of games with the St. Paul Saints at CHS Field this week to get him back in the flow of the game. Eligible to return from the injured list on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota was never going to have him make the trip to Canada. But there are now multiple reports out there saying his return is expected to happen on Saturday.

Plan was more always tomorrow. I get it that that can be fluid, but not surprising on my end.

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) May 17, 2024

Byron Buxton is here in Cleveland with the Twins. He’s expected to be activated from the IL on Saturday after playing in two rehab games.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) May 17, 2024

This season has been something of a slow going for Buxton out of the gate. He has struggled to catch up with fastballs, and his pitch recognition leaves plenty to be desired. He isn’t getting on-base with walks at all, and the production at the plate has plenty of room to grow. He has been among the best center fielders in the game though, and that has been a constant whenever he has been healthy and available.

Last season the Minnesota Twins attempted to mitigate injury risk for Byron Buxton by allowing him to operate solely as a designated hitter. Unfortunately that saps a significant majority of his value given his defensive prowess, and he never found the offensive consistency required to only hit.

Byron Buxton is electric, what a catch pic.twitter.com/rhajsGK3pX

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 9, 2024

It’s unfortunate that Buxton’s knee inflammation happens to be the same knee he underwent surgery for yet again this offseason. The most recent surgery seemed to address the issue better than has previously taken place, but it’s not going to be a forever fix. Buxton is now on the wrong side of 30 years old, and he has gone through plenty of injury issues.

Management will be the key going forward, and short stints on the injured list may be a way that Rocco Baldelli can keep his center fielder available virtually all season long. Buxton initially suggested this was him listening to his body, and being able to shut it down rather than play through something to damage further is a decision he would have previously overlooked.

Austin Martin likely the odd man out for Minnesota Twins

Austin Martin was the initial beneficiary of Buxton hitting the injured list, and would be the common sense option to go down, if Buxton is activated. Now more outfielder than infielder, the rookie has gotten some run in his debut season, more than originally expected for sure.

Related: New MLB + Roku Deal Gives Bally-less Twins Fans Some Free Games to Watch

And he’s mostly looked the part in center field, and while the offensive results haven’t been substantial, the defense should continue to improve as he acclimates to new positions.

Martin definitely got off to a faster start than the .644 OPS and 86 OPS+ he is currently sporting. He is a lesser version of Michael A. Taylor defensively, but he doesn’t strike out and draw some walks. With Willi Castro looking unable to play center field consistently, and Manuel Margot a complete trainwreck, the Twins could call on Martin again this season.

Related: What Does MLB’s New Statcast Bat Tracking Say About the Minnesota Twins?

The hope is that Buxton can be back in a regular capacity, and find the bat that he has been known to possess. He was hitless over six at bats during his rehab assignment, but being a key piece for a series with the Cleveland Guardians this weekend would be a much-needed boost for the roster. A sweep would have Minnesota taking over the top spot in the AL Central.

Hearing Carlos Correa will be activated for tonight's game and #MNTwins will option out Austin Martin.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) April 29, 2024

When Correa left the lineup a few weeks ago, vibes were not very positive surrounding the Twins. They only got worse when he left the lineup too. But now that they’ve turned things around, the Twins will add their best hitter (minus Royce Lewis) back into the lineup.

Carlos Correa returns to Minnesota Twins lineup vs White Sox

Before he went down with injury, Carlos Correa was hitting an absurd .306 with 4 RBI and a .876 OPS. He called it one of the best season starts of his entire career. If Minnesota gets that same guy back tonight, the White Sox — who the Twins just swept last week — will be in trouble.

Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa coming up clutch late in the game. That’s why this team can be so dangerous#MNTwins
pic.twitter.com/LoatRuHwL4

— Twins Talk (@LetsTalk_Twins) April 3, 2024

In a corresponding move, the Twins will option Austin Martin back to St. Paul. It isn’t the news Martin was hoping for this morning, but he has to be happy with how well he played in his first long-form MLB stint.

While Martin didn’t light up the box score, (.226 BA, .665 OPS) but he played solid defense and the dude takes great at bats every time he steps in the batters box.