FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Byron Buxton spent the offseason working out with renewed determination to add muscle to his lanky frame. He wasted no time showing off that added strength.

Buxton hit a two-run single in his first spring at-bat before clubbing a three-run homer beyond the left-field wall at Hammond Stadium on Saturday night. He drove in five through the first four innings of the Twins' 10-5 win vs. the Rays.

“Tonight was a really nice night," said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who earned his first win in Spring Training. "He put some great swings on the ball. In addition to that, he also showed us all some of the other things he can do as well. Going in the gap and cutting the ball off and keeping the runner at first and making a nice baserunning move on the ball to the outfield where he hung off the bag. … He does so many things to help this team. It was great to see it all tonight right off the bat.”

The center fielder also showed off his plus range in center field, cutting off a sharply hit ball in the right-center-field gap to hold Jake Smolinski to a single in the third inning.

Buxton added 21 pounds during the offseason as he channeled his frustration from last season, when he hit .156/.183/.200 in 28 games while he struggled with migraines and then sustained a fractured left big toe. He was sent to the Minors on a rehab assignment in June, but he never made it back to the Major Leagues, as the Twins didn't call him up from Triple-A Rochester at the conclusion of the Minor League season.

Buxton's difficult 2018 was part of a series of setbacks that contributed to the Twins' disappointing 78-84 finish after a run to the American League Wild Card Game in 2017. The Twins are hoping for bounce-back campaigns from both Buxton and third baseman Miguel Sano as they eye a playoff run in 2019.

"I think it's fair to say that both [Buxton and Sano] have put themselves in a spot where they are in a great mental state and physical state coming into Spring Training," Baldelli said on Friday. "There is nothing more you can ask for from either one of these guys. Talking about their offseasons, there is nothing more than you can ask for coming into camp. And they have carried it over into camp."

Castro excited to welcome Gonzalez to Minnesota

Jason Castro was in his car when he received a text message that his former teammate Marwin Gonzalez was set to join Castro in Minnesota.

"I think, for him to reach this point in free agency and not have signed anywhere, I was pretty shocked," Castro said. "To see that we signed him, I was equally excited."

Castro and Gonzalez were Astros teammates from 2012-16 before Castro hit free agency and joined the Twins. Castro believes that Gonzalez, known for his versatility in the field, can become a mentor for multiple position players. Though primarily a left fielder and infielder, Gonzalez played every position except pitcher and catcher at various points last season, and Castro even remembers Gonzalez catching a few bullpen sessions.

Perhaps, once he arrives at Twins camp, Gonzalez can give some super-utility tips to Willians Astudillo, who played five positions in the field for the Twins in 29 games last season and could be another versatile option off the bench this season.

"Maybe he can give [Astudillo] some catching pointers from the few bullpens I’ve seen him catch," Castro joked.

Lewis out with strained oblique

Top prospect Royce Lewis was scratched from the Twins' Grapefruit League opener against the Orioles on Saturday due to a mild oblique strain. The No. 5 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, was originally slated to enter the split-squad matchup as a substitute at shortstop.

Lewis said he felt a sharp pain while turning to throw after fielding a grounder between shortstop and third base on Friday. He had already been feeling sore throughout Spring Training due to the increased workload.

"It felt like someone was literally stabbing me in the side," Lewis said.

The 19-year-old Lewis was feeling better on Saturday, but he doesn't have a timetable for his return.

Even though he didn't play, Lewis impressed his coaches by staying in the dugout throughout Saturday night's game to chat with his coaches and some of the Twins' special guests in spring camp.

"I feel no rush even though I’d love to be out there playing in big league Spring Training," Lewis said. "I can still learn from the bench."

"I think we’re pretty confident that he’s going to be out here, I would say, relatively soon, even with the conservative approach," Baldelli said.

Baldelli fondly remembers Cafardo

Boston Globe writer Nick Cafardo died suddenly on Thursday at the age of 62. His passing has garnered condolences from the sports world and especially baseball. Baldelli shared some fond memories he had with the longtime writer and the impact Cafardo had on the game.

"Obviously devastating news for many people throughout the game," Baldelli said. "He was truly one of the really, really good genuinely sweet people I have been lucky to spend time around. It's funny you said you ran into him in a coffee shop. That's where I would run into him as well. He would call in the offseason just to say hello, just to see what was going on. He was a very, very special and unique guy. He did the job with such grace. He was just a phenomenal person and a great writer who loved what he did.

"I think he had just a terrific personality to be on a baseball field and to interact with all sorts of people from all walks of life. I think he did the job as well as it could be done. He added his own personality to it. I think he leaves a great legacy behind. There are a lot of people who are thinking so kindly of him right now and talking about him and reliving experiences with him. He meant a lot to a lot of people."

Up next

The battle for the 2019 Mayor's Cup will begin on Sunday, when the Twins head across Fort Myers to take on the Red Sox in a 12:05 p.m. CT matchup at JetBlue Park. Left-hander Martin Perez is slated to make his Twins debut. Right-hander Ryan Weber will get the start for the Red Sox.