MINNEAPOLIS -- With a resounding crack of the bat, the ball shot on a line towards the left-field corner, and seconds later, Byron Buxton cruised into second base with a double. That's a sight the Twins have been waiting to see for a long time.

The team had to wait a few extra days to see Buxton in camp due to the birth of his second son, Blaze, last Friday, but Buxton's late arrival and lack of ramp-up time with his teammates didn't seem to hinder him much on Wednesday. He patrolled his normal center-field position and went 1-for-4 with a double and a walk as he saw game action for the first time since he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder last September.

"Seeing Buck back out there and put a good swing on the ball -- basically right off the plane -- was very fun to see him go out there and do that," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "Watching him is always a highlight."

• Notes: Intrasquad recap, robo umps experiment

There's no need to remind Twins fans how important a healthy and confident Buxton will be for the club's success this year and beyond. The confidence was already in place last season. The health, though, was an issue deep into the original Spring Training period in 2020, as Buxton was close to returning to the field by the time camp broke in mid-March but still had not seen any game action.

At that point, the Twins had remained noncommittal about Buxton's readiness for Opening Day on March 26. Much as baseball's hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic allowed for Minnesota to get Rich Hill healthy in time for the newly scheduled regular season, all that time away removed any doubt that Buxton will be fully healthy and ready to go when the Twins take the field for rescheduled Opening Day on July 24.

"It gave me that time to fully get it healed and the way I want it to," Buxton said. "I've got no limit. I'm back to being myself and going out and playing the game the right way."

Between Buxton's elite defense in center field and his much-improved bat in 2019, the 26-year-old had finally showcased the all-around game that will make him one of the most important factors for a Twins team that was forced to make its playoff push and contest postseason games without him last year -- and hopes to do so with him this year, when every game will matter more during the abbreviated 60-game regular season.

In Minnesota's run to the American League Wild Card Game in 2017, Buxton was worth 5.0 WAR -- second-highest on the Twins -- despite a relatively paltry .728 OPS, in large part because the 2017 Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winner’s defense was so good.

Consider, then, that the 2019 Twins were 62-25 when Buxton played, and 39-36 when he didn't. According to Baseball-Reference, he was worth 3.1 WAR in only 87 games last season as he set career bests in doubles (30), batting average (.262), slugging percentage (.513) and OPS (.827) while still finishing sixth among all MLB outfielders with 12 outs above average, per Statcast, despite his abbreviated campaign.

Buxton's highlight-reel catches and run-saving plays will be all the more important in 2020, when every run and every win will be more significant than ever. He rounds out Minnesota's potent lineup with his combination of pop and speed in the No. 9 hole. And with a healthy Buxton in center field, Max Kepler is free to play his natural position in right field, where he's a better defender and his body endures less wear and tear than when he plays in center.

"Playing the outfield is definitely always a lot different without him beside me," said Kepler, who made 60 appearances in center field last season. "He impacts the game on every aspect, I think, hitting-wise, baserunning, mentally, too -- just to have him next to you on the bench is awesome. But his defense is like no other, I think the best I’ve ever seen. I’m definitely super excited to have him back on the field."

The key is in that simple qualifier -- "a healthy Buxton."

It's never been quite that easy throughout Buxton's career, from the concussion and migraine issues to unfortunate circumstantial injuries like a broken toe and various sprains and strains. Even last season, he was on the injured list on four occasions for a right wrist contusion, concussion-like symptoms (after a diving catch) and two times for the left shoulder subluxation that ultimately ended his season, caused by a collision with the outfield wall in Miami.

Buxton's aggressive style of play helps provide all that value on defense, but there's no doubt it has also played a major role in his extensive injury history. Recognizing that outfield-wall collisions were an issue, the Twins worked with Buxton on some fixes like having him play deeper in center field. But it will also take a mental adjustment on Buxton's part, and he now acknowledges that.

"Like I said in Spring Training, I also had a little bit more time to kind of figure out when to be aggressive and when to be a little bit more conservative," Buxton said. "I worked a little bit more on jumping off two feet. That kind of keeps me a little bit more in control, especially toward the wall. So that’s probably the biggest thing I’ve worked on this offseason and over this break. Just little things to try to get that edge."

If that leads, indeed, to a healthier Buxton, could this -- again -- be the year everything clicks and Buxton can finally, at long last, put together that full, productive season, short as it may be?

"Most definitely," Buxton said. "Each year, you get a little bit smarter and learn a little bit more [through] experience. I've gained a little bit more confidence and am starting to be a little bit more within myself, and know what I can and can't do. That allows me to stay humble. I don't get too high, I don't get too low over having good weeks or having bad weeks. As long as you stay in the middle, it kind of keeps your mind mentally at ease."