Twins' All-Stars return from break to unlikely playoff chase

CHICAGO -- Byron Buxton returned from the All-Star Game with another cherished family memory, a third selection in five years and a clearer sense that his ailing hip is moving in the right direction.

What he did not return with was a spot in the Twins’ lineup.

Buxton remains on the injured list as Minnesota opens the second half Friday night against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but the center fielder continued ramping up his baseball activity before the game. He ran, hit and moved through additional work as the Twins evaluate him on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s not fun, but got the job done,” Buxton said of his workout. “It felt good. So it’s one of those where I’m just kind of looking forward to the next day, making sure everything is good with that and moving forward.”

Buxton was eligible to be activated Friday, but the Twins are being cautious with the hip issue that prevented him from playing in Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic. Manager Derek Shelton said the club has seen encouraging progress, though it remains uncertain exactly when Buxton will be ready to return.

“He went out and ran today, which is encouraging,” Shelton said. “He’s going to hit and go through some other baseball stuff. I think as of right now, we’re just going day to day on how he feels.”

Even without appearing in the game, Buxton made the most of his trip to Philadelphia.

The 32-year-old was elected as a starting outfielder for the American League. More meaningful than the honor itself was the opportunity to share it with his sons, who were old enough this time to better understand everything happening around them.

Buxton said the Home Run Derby was the highlight for the boys, who were slightly overwhelmed by the crowd surrounding the red carpet but considerably more comfortable with the outfits they helped pick.

“They understood it a little bit more this year going into it,” Buxton said. “To see how happy they were, see the excitement that it gave them, gave me another reason to be happy that I was selected to do it.”

The Twins’ other two All-Star representatives returned with memories of their own.

Joe Ryan worked a scoreless fourth inning for the AL, allowing a single to Juan Soto before striking out Freddie Freeman and CJ Abrams and retiring Max Muncy on a popup. But some of Ryan’s favorite moments happened away from the mound.

Ryan played catch with Justin Verlander, whom he first met when the two started against one another during Ryan’s rookie season.

“Obviously, [he’s a] Hall of Famer, and just wanted to pick his brain as much as I could,” Ryan said. “He was like, ‘Yeah, I never throw with pitchers, but I’ll make an exception.’ So it was pretty cool.”

Shelton’s second All-Star experience was similarly centered on family. He walked the red carpet with his son, attended the Home Run Derby and spent time around another coaching staff and the game’s top players.

The most memorable part?

“We won,” Shelton said.

Now the Twins return to games carrying a different kind of significance.

Minnesota entered Friday at 48-49, but had won eight of its final nine series before the break and remained firmly in the American League postseason race. The next two weeks will help determine whether the front office adds to the roster before the Trade Deadline, a reality the clubhouse understands without Shelton needing to deliver a dramatic second-half speech.

Buxton said the Twins’ job is straightforward: continue playing the kind of baseball that pulled them from eight games under .500 to within one game of even.

“We know where we stand, we know what we’ve got,” Buxton said. “Just want to get off to a good start, go out there, take care of business and give the front office something to go out and do some work on.”

After a week spent among baseball’s biggest stars, the Twins’ All-Stars returned to a team that believes it has something meaningful to chase.

Buxton is not quite ready to join that pursuit on the field. But he believes he is getting closer.