MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has been making good progress with his fractured left toe while on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester, manager Paul Molitor said Wednesday.
Buxton, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list for a second time with the injury on May 30, has played in two games with the Red Wings, going 1-for-7 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base.
"The good news is that we know the foot seems to be in a good place and we haven't said that for about seven weeks or so," Molitor said. "Last night, he played and went hitless. Today, they had an afternoon game. He went 1-for-3 with a walk. I didn't get a chance to look at the video yet from his at-bats. But he's playing and he is going to keep going out there. And the good news is that, physically, he's able to do some of the things he needs to do to get back on track."
The Twins would like to see Buxton get going offensively before he's activated from the DL. Buxton is hitting .156/.183/.200 with no homers and four doubles in 28 games with the Twins this season. He worked on improving his mechanics at the plate last week while joining the Twins on their road trip through Detroit and Cleveland. Buxton can be on a rehab assignment for a maximum of 20 days.
Worth noting
• Twins right-hander Ervin Santana, who is recovering from surgery on his right middle finger in February, threw a 35-pitch bullpen session without any issues on Tuesday. He'll progress to throwing live batting practice on Friday before starting a second rehab assignment. He suffered a setback in late May, but his finger has been responding better and he remains a few weeks away from returning.
"The side went well yesterday, for the most part," Molitor said. "You know, there are still some things we're trying to figure out how to do a little better. He was comfortable yesterday with his grips and all his pitches. Sometimes getting to the grip and making it as natural as you can and do all the things you're comfortable with, they're kind of the smaller details. As long as he can throw the pitches the way he wants to."
• Third baseman Miguel Sano played in his second game with Class A Advanced Fort Myers on Wednesday, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk in his first game on Monday. Sano will continue to see action with the Miracle while also working on his conditioning at the club's Spring Training complex.