St. Paul Saints fans are about to experience one of the better perks of having a minor league team as Byron Buxton and Kenta Maeda of the Minnesota Twins will begin rehab assignments later this week.
Both players will make appearances when the Saints begin a six-game series against the Omaha Storm Chasers. According to the Twins’ Dustin Morse, Buxton will begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday while Maeda will make a rehab start on Wednesday.
Buxton was placed on the injured list on May 7 with a right hip strain but was tearing the cover off the ball before the injury. In 98 plate appearances, Buxton hit .370/.408/.772 with nine homers and was making a dark-horse case for the American League MVP Award.
While Buxton got off to a fast start, Maeda struggled after a strong 2020 season. In nine starts this season, Maeda has gone 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA and hasn’t made a start over six innings. His last start came on May 22nd when he was pulled with a groin injury after five innings against the Cleveland Indians.
Maeda and Buxton’s arrival comes just in time for the Saints’ “Re-Opening Night” where they will celebrate the loosening of restrictions due to COVID-19. While the last-place Twins are hoping their stay with the Saints is a short one, it should be a treat for fans wanting to get a closer look.
