3:37PM: The Twins officially announced that Buxton and Pineda have been reinstated. LaMonte Wade Jr. was optioned to the alternate training site in a corresponding move, and righty Juan Minaya has been designated for assignment.
9:07AM: The Twins didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline but will still receive some key additions this week. Dan Hayes of The Athletic tweets that center fielder Byron Buxton will be activated from the injured list today, while right-hander Michael Pineda will return from his reduced 60-game PED suspension tonight as well. Third baseman Josh Donaldson will be reinstated from the IL tomorrow, Hayes adds.
The Twins have faceplanted over the past week, dropping six straight games to fall to third place in the American League Central. They’re still in playoff position but are now slotted in as a No. 7 seed under the expanded format, whereas they’d previously been in the mix for the top overall seed in the American League. There’s still time to right the ship, of course, particularly with six more games against the first-place White Sox and three more against the second-place Indians still on the schedule.
Buxton began the season in a 1-for-15 slump but has hit .264 with five homers and a .566 slugging percentage in 15 games since. Unfortunately, he’s only drawn one walk on the year, leaving him with an ugly slash line of .221/.225/.456. He’s been out since Aug. 20 due to shoulder inflammation, but the hope will be that he can continue his power output while showing a bit more discipline to boost that OBP in a meaningful way. Buxton’s glovework remains sound as ever; he’s checked in at +5 Defensive Runs Saved and a +3.0 Ultimate Zone Rating in just 170 innings.
Pineda, meanwhile, will make his season debut when he’s reinstated from the restricted list. The Twins re-signed the big righty to a two-year, $20MM contract over the winter, knowing full well he’d need to miss 39 games under the 60-game PED ban he received late last year. Of course, at the time, the expectation was that those 39 games would represent just 24 percent of the 162-game schedule — not 65 percent of a 60-game schedule.
The 31-year-old Pineda was a key member of the Twins’ staff prior to last year’s suspension, logging 146 innings with a 4.01 ERA and 4.02 FIP. He’ll join a rotation mix that also includes Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, Rich Hill and Randy Dobnak.
As for Donaldson, he’s played just seven games this year due to a calf strain — an injury that president of baseball operations Derek Falvey recently said the team approached in a deliberately conservative manner given the slugger’s history with calf issues. Donaldson, who inked a four-year, $92MM deal with the Twins in the offseason, opened the season in a 4-for-22 skid, though he belted 37 homers with an even .900 OPS for the Braves a season ago. Marwin Gonzalez has received the bulk of playing time at third base in Donaldson’s absence and struggled at the plate (.225/.299/.324). He’ll likely return to a super-utility role when Donaldson is activated.
I truly don’t believe Buxton will ever reach the potential we were told he had. He’s played in 136 out of the twins’ last 363 games and plays inconsistently when he healthy. Flashes of that promise, then a long string of mediocrity especially at the plate.
No doubt. Makes u wonder if the injuries hurt his ceiling or if it was inaccurate scouting :/
Scouting was spot on. He’s a great player when healthy for a long enough period. Injuries really curb his potential. Very exciting player to watch.
The reason he was the number 1 prospect was because his floor was so high. We are seeing his floor and his floor is best defensive CFer in the game + a league average bat.
Wasn’t Buxton the #1 overall prospect two years in a row?
BA had him #1 in 2014 and #2 in 2015 and 2016.
Couldn’t have said it better. What it amounts to is he’s just not that great if he can play spectacular defense through injuries and steal bases when he can’t get on base.
if there is one thing I have learned watching the twins for near 60 years.. the current administration doesn’t care about the world series.. their plan is to be competitive and sell tickets.. to them that is what baseball is all about..
What tickets are they selling right now? If you followed along over the last few days, they were in on some pitching. Neither of the 2 big names they really wanted got traded. One was staying put and the other was obviously too costly prospect wise.
I think Falvine has demonstrated enough that this a new front office with real aspirations for a championship. Just look at how the pitching has changed dramatically from Ryan’s time at the helm.
they have show nothing of the sort.. we see the kind of pitchers they target… hill, bailey.. Dobnak.. pitch to contact.. things haven’t change one Iota.. they refuse to Gamble just like Ryan.. they are waiting for their sure thing… guess what there are no sure things in baseball.. those who want to win gamble unless they can buy all the talent they want… and the twins haven’t showed they will do that.. that window they were waiting to open so the could ” step on the necks” of the central.. looks closed to me… The White sox are pretty set for the next 5 years or so.. Cleveland is churning out ace type pitchers.. and Minnesota’s window is closing this year… the only way thru know is to break thru.. other than that they settle for the competitive.. and that isn’t World series caliber..
If I were Falvey I’d seriously consider moving on from Buxton. Not sure who’d replace him though, maybe Springer??
Maybe Buxton needs a change of scenery. Mets need a good CF. Buxton for Diaz.
I wouldn’t complain as long as the FO has an actual plan in replacing him.
Y’all are seriously dumb if you think the Twins should move on from Buxton. He is by and far the best CF in baseball, a league average hitter if you remove his god awful 2018, and hasn’t even hit arbitration yet. You are paying him nothing, hitting him 9th, and letting him steal base hits. Even if he “nEVeR rEaCHeS hiS pOtEnTiaL!” he is still a very good baseball player. Dude was on his way to being a 6 WAR player last year.
Also, they are paying him league min, so if he is hurt, it isn’t even that big of a blow financially.
The problem these people have is that there is one sports station in the state and the 12 to 3 show has the same 2 takes every day… Buxton sucks, and the Twins are too cheap for pitching.
So steal his tired bits all you like, but remember each day he reminds us he doesn’t even watch.
Agreed, people act like kiermaeir and pillar are good but neither have been mvp candidates. A healthy twins roster producing to their career averages is one of the best in baseball and a true WS competitor.
Go get em donaldson! Thoroughly enjoyed your year in ATL, what you brought to the club day in and out, and wish you nothing but healthiness for you from here on out..
We all witnessed the monster you are when at full strength and so did your new team at the time.
Someone get Donaldson some pine tar.
He was throwing the bat all over the place tonight!