Byron Buxton officially began his rehab assignment on Friday, going 3-for-5 with a run scored in Triple-A Rochester's 9-5 loss to Charlotte while working his way back from a sprained left thumb.
Buxton served as the designated hitter in his first game since June 24. He singled to center field to lead off the game and later scored on a Danny Santana single. His second at-bat came in the second inning and resulted in an opposite-field single. Buxton grounded out in the fifth and seventh innings before adding a third single and an RBI on a grounder in the ninth.