Byron Buxton, spending some time in the outfield, eyes rehab assignment

Not that it's much of a surprise, but running around in the outfield for the past couple of weeks has reminded Byron Buxton how much he misses it.

"To see fly balls and line drives, just the competition within yourself to compete — it's the game within the game," Buxton said after another Target Field workout Monday. "It's definitely fun."

Pretty easy for a Platinum Glove fielder, too, even after giving up his old job for an entire year now. "It feels like second nature," he said. "Hitting is what's hard."

But even that might be easier once he can roam the outfield again, the 29-year-old veteran said. "Who knows? Feels like you get caught up a little bit when you DH, which I did a little bit earlier on this year," Buxton said. "Mentally, that was something for me to learn on. It's just something I take one day at a time."

And when might those days be, in an actual game? His manager believes Buxton will be ready for a rehabilitation assignment in St. Paul very soon.

"We're going to wait and see how today goes, how tomorrow goes. But I think [he is] getting closer to the next step," Rocco Baldelli said.

Willi Castro is antsy to play for the Twins again, too, after collecting two singles in seven at-bats for the Saints in Omaha over the weekend. Another game or two of rehab is likely, especially given that Castro's wife is due to deliver the couple's second daughter sometime this week.