Byron Buxton full go after 2 years of feeling like he had knife in his knee

Buxton is expected to start in center field for the Twins this season.

Addressing reporters on Saturday morning, Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton says he is fully healthy as he prepares to be the team's starting center fielder for the 2024 season.

"I'm fully healthy so that puts my mind at ease to just go out there and have a normal spring training," Buxton said via Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

Buxton underwent a procedure in his knee over the offseason and all reports have been positive as the team hopes he can return to the outfield in a full-time role for the first time since Aug. 2022. While Buxton declared "I'm back" during last month's TwinsFest, he doubled down ahead of the Twins' first full-squad practice on Sunday morning.

"The pain is gone, so I'm a lot more happy," Buxton said via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. "...The last couple of years were definitely painful, just waking up feeling like a knife is in your knee every morning."

If Buxton is healthy, the Twins could get a glimpse of the player they saw during the 2021 season. Buxton played in just 61 games due to a hamstring strain and a broken hand that year but hit .306/.358/.647 with 19 home runs, 32 RBI and nine stolen bases.

The monster stat line persuaded the Twins to sign Buxton to a seven-year, $100 million contract in Dec. 2021 but it was a deal that was loaded with incentives for playing time, All-Star appearances and MVP voting.

Buxton took his place in center field at the beginning of the 2022 season but injured his knee sliding into second base in April. Buxton went on to make his first All-Star team a few months later, hitting .216/.293/.531 with 23 home runs, 43 RBI and two stolen bases in the first half but was limited to 19 games in the second half due to the injury.

The injuries reached a boiling point last season as Buxton struggled, hitting .207/.294/.438 with 17 home runs, 42 RBI and 109 strikeouts in 85 games while serving exclusively as the team's designated hitter. Buxton tried to return to the outfield during a rehab assignment with the St. Paul Saints last September but the Twins shut him down after he developed tendonitis in his left knee.

If Buxton is able to play in center field, it would be a huge boost for their defense. According to Statcast, Buxton ranked eighth among center fielders and 13th among all outfielders with eight outs above average in 2021 and ranked sixth among centerfielders and 12th among all outfielders with eight outs above average in 2022.

Buxton believes a return to the outfield could help him regain his form at the plate and get closer to the player he was in 2021. Nobody knows how long Buxton will continue to feel good but for now, Buxton is hopeful he can turn in a full season.

"[I'm] excited now that I know I'm not DH'ing," Buxton said. "That's always exciting to be normal and go out there and be what you were doing before all the injuries."

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