Byron Buxton has struggled in his first few weeks of the 2016 season with the Minnesota Twins. As such, it is not a surprise that he was sent down to AAA.
The Minnesota Twins have sent highly touted outfielder Byron Buxton back to Triple-A after a disastrous start to the season. The team also sent down top outfield prospect Max Kepler, after promoting him April 9.
Buxton entered the season with lofty expectations after a disappointing start to his major league career in 2015. Last season, the 22-year-old slashed .209/.250/.326 with 16 runs scored before succumbing to various injuries which led to an early end to his season in late August.
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Buxton was promoted in the midst of an unexpectedly solid season for Minnesota, but failed to ever gain any momentum with the big league roster. He’s widely known for his potential power-speed combination, but only stole two bases and hit two home runs in 46 games. Once he was moved to the top of the Twins lineup, he showed some signs of improvement, but his strikeout percentage was at an ugly 31.9 percent.
The strikeout issues persisted into this season for Buxton, as he’s seen his strikeout rate increase to 49 percent in 49 plate appearances. His walk rate is at only 4.1 percent, only furthering his issues at the plate. Though it’s a small sample size, Buxton’s slash line has been worse this season, at .156/.208/.289.
One positive to take away from Buxton’s start this season is his speed, as he’s managed to match last season’s steal total with two – a number that will likely near twenty assuming he returns to the majors in due time.
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Buxton’s struggles can most likely be attributed to the fact that he was quickly moved from Double-A to the majors, and only spend 13 games with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate. While there, he hit .400 while scoring 11 runs. More seasoning at the Triple-A level will give him a fair chance to iron out the issues plaguing his swing and plate discipline.
In a related move, outfielder David Murphy exercised his right to opt-out of his contract with the Twins, though he likely would have seen time in the majors with the demotion of Buxton and Kepler. If Kepler plays well upon his return to Triple-A, he could return to the majors sooner rather than later. The team may want to be patient with Buxton, as their 5-14 record leaves them with no need to rush him back.
While with the Twins, he hit .167/.286/.333 with a rather high 35.7 strikeout rate. Kepler, 23, entered the season as the Twins’ second ranked prospect and the 41st overall prospect in MLB.com’s rankings.
With Buxton and Kepler back in the minors, the Twins will turn to Danny Santana in center field, who was activated off the disabled list in a corresponding move. Santana struggled in 12 games this season after only hitting .215 with the team last season. He hit .322 in Triple-A last season, however, and could manage to play well enough to earn his spot as an everyday outfielder if he can make consistent contact.
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The Twins also promoted towering right-hander Alex Meyer from Triple-A Rochester to add bullpen depth. Meyer has thrived this season by posting a 1.04 ERA and 1.86 FIP with 9.87 K/9 in three games (two starts) this season.