Byron Buxton will take batting practice on the field before Thursday night's game against the Seattle Mariners at Target Field, but baseball's top prospect isn't close to returning to the Twins' lineup. In fact, it's looking more as if the center fielder is on pace to be a call-up when the rosters are expanded on Sept. 1.
If he's healthy.
"This isn't a week down the road," general manager Terry Ryan said Wednesday. "This is some time down the road."
Out since spraining his left thumb on a head-first slide on June 23, Buxton played in only 11 major league games after being called up from Class AA Chattanooga on June 14.