Buxton’s All-Star return comes with lingering hip issue as Twins weigh lineup options

The Twins returned from the All-Star break in Chicago with Byron Buxton back in the organization, but not back in the starting lineup. According to the team’s reporting, Buxton came out of the festivities with another family milestone and a clearer outlook on his recovery, while the hip problem that has affected his availability remains significant enough to shape how the club is using him right now.

MLB reporting around Buxton emphasized both what he did return with and what he did not. He earned a third All-Star selection in the past five years, but the more practical detail for the final weeks of the first half was that he did not come back with a guaranteed role. The Twins’ decision underscores the difference between being medically available to rejoin the club and being ready to take on a full, regular-game workload.

Buxton’s biggest storyline entering the second half is the hip, described in the team’s report as “moving in the right direction.” That phrasing matters because it frames the current stage of the process as improvement, not resolution. In roster management terms, it suggests the Twins see gradual progress, but they still want to be cautious with how much strain he absorbs on a daily basis, particularly with the season’s playoff outlook becoming harder to ignore.

The other notable return mentioned in the same Twins coverage is Joe Ryan. Like Buxton, Ryan rejoined the club after the break, and his presence adds to the pitching options the Twins will rely on as they push through the stretch where every rotation turn and bullpen inning can carry postseason weight.

For a team in an “unlikely playoff chase” posture, small lineup decisions can loom larger than they would on a club with more cushion. A star-caliber center fielder who is not penciled into the everyday lineup immediately changes the tone of an at-bat-heavy stretch, both in terms of defensive alignment and the lineup’s balance of power, speed, and left-right matchups.

Just as important, the Twins’ approach hints at how they will measure Buxton’s readiness going forward. The report’s emphasis is not on a sudden return to full-time form, but on continued progress paired with clear limits for the moment. That is a common template for hitters working through lingering lower-body issues: gradual reintroduction rather than instant maximal load, especially when the team expects to need that player for more than one week.

What to watch next is how the Twins manage the next phase of Buxton’s reactivation. If the club continues to describe the hip as trending positively, his role could expand in steps, with more starts or longer looks as he proves he can handle game speed and defensive demands. For Ryan, the questions shift to how quickly he settles back into the rhythm of starts and how the pitching staff structures innings around the postseason picture.