Twins Activate Byron Buxton For Field Of Dreams Game Vs. Phillies

DYERSVILLE, Iowa —

The Minnesota Twins activated outfielder Byron Buxton off the injured list on Thursday, clearing him to play in the Field of Dreams game against the Philadelphia Phillies, ESPN reported. Buxton had missed 14 games with a right hip impingement.

It is the second time this season Buxton has come back from the same injury. He returned from an earlier stint on the injured list on July 20, only to reaggravate the hip a week later and go back on the list, according to ESPN. That first absence cost him nine games and a start in the All-Star Game, to which he had been named.

Buxton, 32, is batting .263 with 25 home runs, 45 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 82 games this season, ESPN reported. But his production has cooled: he has not hit a home run since June 22, and since returning from his first injured list stint he is batting just .160 with no extra-base hits.

Major League Baseball allowed each team to carry a 27th player for the Field of Dreams game, so the Twins did not have to cut another player from the roster to make room for Buxton, according to ESPN.

A Return After Three Years

Thursday's game marked the Field of Dreams event's return after a three-year absence, according to CBS Sports. The exhibition, named for the 1989 film shot in Iowa, was first played in 2021 and held again in 2022 before renovations at the Dyersville site pushed it off the schedule. This year's matchup is the first interleague game in the event's history, CBS Sports reported.

Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.47 ERA) started for the Phillies, who had lost two straight games and entered with a 64-58 record. Taj Bradley (9-4, 3.76 ERA) started for the Twins, who were coming off a win over Baltimore and entered at 60-62, according to CBS Sports.

Both teams are chasing playoff spots. Entering Thursday, the Twins sat three and a half games behind the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central and a half-game out of the final AL wild-card spot, ESPN reported.

Stars On Both Sides

Kyle Schwarber led off for the Phillies, with Bryce Harper hitting third, according to Yahoo Sports. Buxton headlined the Twins' lineup. Before the game, former Twins players Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer played catch on the field with their sons, Yahoo Sports reported.

First pitch was set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Netflix carried the broadcast, the first time the Field of Dreams game aired off traditional television, according to Yahoo Sports.