SEATTLE – Byron Buxton warily eyed the timing mechanisms, set up by the Twins' training staff, as he went through his stretching program in short left field Wednesday. When he felt ready, the center fielder stood along the foul line, waited for a pause in batting practice, and began running as the trainers and manager Rocco Baldelli looked on.
Four more times Buxton repeated the test, gradually running a little faster. But in each of the last two, he appeared to try to run at full speed — then slowed to a jog after about 40 feet.
If he's fully healthy, now six weeks after suffering a severe hip sprain, Buxton didn't appear able to prove it Wednesday. And that makes it extremely doubtful that he will play in Texas this weekend. In fact, it makes it far more likely that he will play again for the St. Paul Saints, on another rehab assignment, before he plays again for the Twins.
"He may play more rehab games — that's not definite, but it's certainly a possibility," Baldelli said before Buxton's workout. "He's feeling pretty good, but we need to get him to the point where he's not just doing pretty good, but where there are no more acute issues he's dealing with."
Buxton went 5-for-9 during three games in St. Paul last week, with a double, triple and two home runs. But he wasn't as healthy as he appeared, Baldelli said.
"He felt something in the first game. He felt something trying to go down the line. Obviously it didn't feel good, and is related to the issue he's been dealing with," the manager said. "He did feel something that's going to keep him out and now we have to build him back up."
Buxton appeared frustrated as he walked off the T-Mobile Park outfield, and he said simply, "Great!" when asked how he felt. But it was clear that he had not run well enough for that to be true.
"He's been in my office multiple times, trying to talk his way into just jumping right back in and playing," Baldelli said. "But when we get down to the details and exactly how he's doing, it's not quite time yet."