Buxton Back for Field of Dreams, but the Rotation Picture Stays Ugly

Byron Buxton is back. The Twins activated him Thursday ahead of the Field of Dreams game against the Phillies, ending a 14-game absence with a right hip injury. Good news, and the timing has a certain charm to it — Buxton walking out of a cornfield in Iowa is the kind of image the sport was made for.

The problem is what's happening on the mound. Joe Ryan, the team's only All-Star this season, is on the 15-day IL, and the rotation behind him is thin. Taj Bradley has been the one reliable arm all year. After him, it gets uncomfortable fast — Zebby Matthews is 7-10 with a 5.30 ERA, Connor Prielipp is at 5.00, and Simeon Woods Richardson has been nearly unworkable, going 0-9 with a 7.35 ERA. His recent appearances have been shorter than usual, which is worth watching. Pablo Lopez remains on the 60-day IL alongside several relievers, so there's no cavalry coming from that direction either.

The Twins sit 58-62, one game out of the last wild card with 42 to play. That's a real number — they're not dead. But a club trying to make up ground needs its rotation to hold games, and right now only Bradley is doing that consistently. Buxton's return helps the offense, which needed him. The pitching situation, though, doesn't get easier just because he's back in center field.