Minnesota Twins Daily Clips

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Twins sign first-round draft pick Jay, will begin at Class A. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 2

Buxton makes his Target Field debut tonight. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3

Wednesday's Twins-St. Louis game recap. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 3

A history of home debuts by Twins greats. Star Tribune (Rand) p. 4

Postgame: Thoughts on Vargas, Nunez and Perkins. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 4

Reusse: Buxton runs into the reality of big-league pitching. Star Tribune (Reusse) p. 5

Twins fans were ready for Byron Buxton's Target Field debut. Star Tribune (Gonzalez) p. 6

Former 'Nibbler' gobbles up Cardinals in Twins' 3-1 win. Star Tribune (Neal) p. 7

Byron Buxton's call-up was one of the Twins' fastest. Pioneer Press (Eccher) p. 7

Byron Buxton -- and Twins fans -- excited for debut. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p. 8

Twins: Joe Mauer moved to No. 2 slot as Molitor tweaks lineup. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p. 9

Minnesota Twins: Glen Perkins answers call in win over Cardinals. Pioneer Press (Murphy) p. 9

Tom Powers: Byron Buxton Era gets off to a quiet start. Pioneer Press (Powers) p. 10

Analyzing the Draft by division: AL Central. MLB.com (Callis) p. 11

Garcia, Pelfrey to close out Twins-Cards meetings. MLB.com (Helfand) p. 11

Twins release veteran righty Stauffer. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 12

Twins announce deal with No. 6 pick Jay. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 12

Milone gives Twins big outing vs. Cards. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 13

Buxton: Making home debut 'very special.’ MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 13

Milone, Twins end Cardinals' winning streak. MLB.com (Bollinger & Helfand) p. 14

Twins sign first-round pick Jay, who will join Miracle as a reliever. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 15

Zulgad: Ready or not, Buxton getting chance to make first impression. 1500espn.com (Zulgad) p. 16

Wetmore: Buxton can help in many ways while bat adjusts to new level. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 17

Milone helps correct course for Twins with 7 strong innings. Associated Press p. 18

Twins release Stauffer, GM Ryan suspects reliever will have a market. 1500espn.com (Wetmore) p. 19

Comparing Buxton with previous notable young Twins. Fox Sports North (Heller) p. 19

Buxton ready to be in the spotlight at Target Field. Fox Sports North (Mason) p. 21

Twins sign first-round draft pick Jay. Fox Sports North (Mason) p. 22

Closer Perkins stays perfect, helps halt Twins' skid. Fox Sports North (Mason) p. 23

Southern notes: Kepler breaks tradition. MiLB.com (Curtright) p. 24

When will the Twins call up Miguel Sano to join Byron Buxton? Minnesota Post (Gleeman) p. 25

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Twins sign first-round draft pick Jay, will begin at Class A La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | June 17, 2015

Wearing a Twins cap and jersey Wednesday for the first time, Tyler Jay let it sink in that he’s now a professional baseball player.

“It’s real,” he said, “but at the same time I know it is not an easy road to get to the majors. You have a lot of work to do, so it is kind of the beginning for me.”

Jay’s journey can begin now that he has signed with the Twins. Jay will receive a bonus of $3,889,500, which is the amount recommended by Major League Baseball. He will head to Fort Myers, Fla., this week to take part in the annual post draft minicamp, then will be assigned to Class A Fort Myers of the Florida State League.

No rookie league ball for Jay, 21, who starred at the University of Illinois as the closer.

“He’s got good stuff,” Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said. “He’s got four pitches and he throws them over the plate. He ought to be able to compete in the Florida State League. The average age in that league is about 23. He would be a little younger than the average, but we think he can compete there.”

The Twins will have Jay work out of the bullpen in his first season of professional baseball. In 30 games for the Illini, Jay posted a 1.08 ERA and 14 saves. In 66 ⅔ innings, Jay walked only seven batters and struck out 76. The Twins are reluctant to stretch him out because of his workload this season.

“We are going to gauge exactly where we are at the end of the summer,” Ryan said.

That raises the possibility that Jay could zip his way to Target Field, although it’s a long shot. But with his control, a 94 miles-per-hour fastball and sharp breaking ball, he could move through the system this season and give the Twins a late-season option.

After this year, the Twins could decide to develop him into a starter.

“Hopefully I throw well wherever I am going and just prove my abilities, however long it takes,” Jay said. “[Do] what I need to do to help the team out.”

In addition to Jay, the Twins also have signed fifth-round pick Alex Robinson, a righthander from Maryland.

Getting acclimated

Byron Buxton was on the field four hours before game time Wednesday. He chased down fly balls hit by outfield coach Butch Davis. Buxton worked on playing balls hit off the wall in right-center field. When early batting practice started, Buxton was in center field, tracking balls.

He wanted to be prepared for his Target Field debut, one for which he has waited since the Twins selected with the second overall draft pick in 2012.

“Very special,” Buxton said during an afternoon news conference before he went out for early work. “Especially not being on the field since 2012. This is one of the dreams I wanted to do, to go out there and play center field with the Twins one day.”

Stauffer released

The Twins officially cut ties with Tim Stauffer on Wednesday when they released the struggling righthander. Stauffer, who can sign with any team, gave up 11 earned runs in 15 innings with the Twins.

“We had high hopes he was going to be a pretty good fit.” Ryan said. “It just did not work out.”

Etc.

• Righthander Ricky Nolasco, on the disabled list because of a right ankle impingement, is being fitted with orthotics after having a setback during a recent bullpen session. He’s out indefinitely.

• Manager Paul Molitor, trying to jump-start the offense, batted Joe Mauersecond and Trevor Plouffe third. It was only the second time in 62 games that Mauer has batted in the No. 2 hole.

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Buxton makes his Target Field debut tonight

La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | June 17, 2015

Byron Buxton is out on the field as I write this, getting used to his new surroundings. Outfield coach Butch Davis is out hitting him balls, and the two are going over the nooks and crannies of Target Field.

Davis is hitting balls off the wall, so Buxton can work on how to play them. Buxton even is throwing a few balls off the wall, just to see how they react.

After playing one game in Texas and three in St. Louis, Buxton will make his Target Field debut tonight as the Twins play host to the Cardinals.

``Very special,'' Buxton said during an afternoon press conference before he went out for early work. ``Especially not being on the field since 2012. This is one of the dreams I wanted to do, to go out there and play center field with the Twins one day. And I'm finally getting that to happen today so I'm very anxious to get out there.''

Buxton is referring to the year he was drafted.

The Twins could use anything Buxton can give them. They are 4-11 this month. They are batting .211 in June. And they are 3-6 in games decided by two or fewer runs.

There's talk of a sellout crowd headed here tonight to watch one of baseball's top prospects. Buxton's fiance' and parents will be in attendance as well.

Buxton now is in center as Torii Hunter is in the cage, working on reading the off the bat.

Twins manager Paul Molitor doesn't want to overhaul the batting order, but he's trying Joe Mauer in the No. 2 hole tonight as the Twins are searching for offense. This is the second time this season Mauer has batted second.

Wednesday’s Twins-St. Louis game recap La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | June 17, 2015

GAME RECAP

IMPACT PLAYER

Tommy Milone, Twins

The Twins lefthander held the Cardinals to one run and five hits over seven innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He gave up

BY THE NUMBERS

9 pitch at-bat by Eduardo Nunez in the second inning, culminating in a double to left.

41 pitches Tommy Milone threw over the first two innings.

5-11 record for the Twins in June.

23 consecutive saves for Glen Perkins to start the year

ON DECK

Twins righthander Mike Pelfrey will face the Cardinals for the first time since Sept. 20, 2011 when he starts Thursday. Lefthander Jaime Garcia will start for the Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m.

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A history of home debuts by Twins greats Michael Rand | Star Tribune | June 17, 2015

Byron Buxton, weather willing, will make his Twins home debut Wednesday in what has to be considered one of the most anticipated games in recent franchise history.

It also sparked a question: Not that Buxton is necessarily destined for greatness, but how did some of the Twins’ all-time great hitters fare in their first full home games?

Let’s take a look in chronological order (note: this list only includes players who made their debuts while with the Twins, not the Senators, hence the lack of Harmon Killebrew, Bob Allison and others).

Tony Oliva: Sept. 14, 1962: Oliva made his home debut in style, batting third and playing right field. He ended the game 2-for-3 with three runs batted in and two runs scored. He walked in his first plate appearance, scoring later in the inning, and hit a two-run double in the second in his first official at-bat, helping the Twins win in a rout.

Rod Carew: April 14, 1967. Batting fifth and playing second base, Carew had an RBI single in the first inning in his first-ever home at-bat. It turned out to be his only hit in a 1-for-4 effort, but it helped the Twins to a 5-3 win over Detroit.

Kent Hrbek: Sept. 8, 1981. Hrbek played parts of three home games before getting his first full home contest on that date. He batted fifth and was the DH, going 0-for-3 and striking out in his first at-bat. His overall debut — on the road at Yankee Stadium that year on Aug. 24 — was far more memorable, of course. He cracked the game-winning home run in the top of the 12th in a 3-2 victory.

Kirby Puckett: May 15, 1984. After collecting 12 hits in his first five career starts — all on the road — Puckett kept right on rolling with a 2-for-5 game in his home debut. He batted leadoff and played center field, getting a single in his first career home at bat. Also, an oddity: Dave Stieb of Toronto, who was pitching for Toronto in Hrbek’s first full home game with the Twins, was also the starter for Puckett’s first home game. Also of note: Puckett started his career 36 for his first 93 (.387 average), though all but two hits were singles.

Chuck Knoblauch: April 12, 1991. Batting second (behind Dan Gladden) and playing second base, Knoblauch went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored twice in his home debut, a 6-0 win over the Angels. He walked in his first career plate appearance, scoring on a Chili Davis single and also scored in the fifth after singling to start the inning.

Justin Morneau: June 10, 2003. Morneau batted cleanup as the DH in his home debut against Colorado, as clear a sign as could be given that he was in Minnesota to boost the offense. He did his part, going 2-for-4 — including a single in his first-ever home at-bat — but the Twins lost 5-0 to Colorado.

Joe Mauer: April 5, 2004: Almost certainly the most anticipated home debut in Twins history given his local status and the fact that he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2001, Mauer did not disappoint. He went 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored, batting eighth and playing the entire 11-inning 7-4 win over Cleveland at catcher. Mauer walked in his first plate appearance in the third inning, got his first career hit in the ninth and singled again as part of an 11th inning rally, scoring on Shannon Stewart’s walkoff home run. Of note: Mauer was injured in the very next game, hurting his knee chasing a foul ball. He was limited to just 122 plate appearances that season.

Postgame: Thoughts on Vargas, Nunez and Perkins La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | June 17, 2015

WHAT ABOUT THE DH: I threw out the idea on radio last week that the Twins should consider a Aaron Hicks-Byron Buxton-Eddie Rosario outfield with Torii Hunter as DH with spot outfield starts. That was before Hicks was injured. There's a chance that could happen when Hicks comes off the DL and Buxton hits enough to stick. That pushes Kennys Vargas out of the picture. Molitor said he's committed to giving Vargas at-bats, but the big man might be running out of time to prove he can be a factor on an everyday basis. ``We got the big man here and he is going to get his at-bats,'' Molitor sad. ``Would like to find out where he's at. Not just a game here, a game there. He's going to need consistent at bats to see if he can make some adjustments.'' Vargas went 0-for-3 on Wednesday and is batting .227.

NUNEZ GETS TIME: Before the game, Molitor said Eduardo Nunez has been taking good at bats recently and deserves a chance to get some playing time. And Nunez came through with two hits, two RBI and a walk. He battled St. Louis righthander Carlos Martinez for nine pitches before hitting a double in his first at-bat of the night. For now, he's forced Eduardo Escobar to the bench. ``Nunez is going to get some time at shortstop,'' Molitor said. ``Just to try to keep his hot bat in the lineup.''

CLOSING TIME: The Twins' 5-11 month of June has cut down on Glen Perkins' appearances lately. Since he was fairly well-rested, Molitor called

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on Perkins to get the final out in the eighth and all three in the ninth. It was his third four-out save of the season. Perkins looked strong, hitting 96 miles-an-hour with his fastball and striking out Mark Reynolds and Randall Grichuk with nasty sliders. ``We talked about if we got in that situations it would be one of those nights,'' Molitor said, ``and it worked out that way.'' It wasn't easy, as Perkins gave up singles to Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta - Eddie Rosario almost made the catch - to open the ninth. The Reynolds at bat lasted eight pitches. Grichuk fought through his. Perkins ended up throwing 30 pitches Wednesday. ``It was a long inning,'' Perkins said, ``but everything went fine.''

Reusse: Buxton runs into the reality of big-league pitching Patrick Reusse | Star Tribune | June 18, 2015

Joe Louis was ready to fight Billy Conn for the heavyweight title in 1941. Conn was smallish and known for his ability to move around the ring and avoid getting hit.

Asked about this, Louis issued the immortal phrase: “He can run, but he can’t hide.’’

This proved accurate, as Conn was leading on scorecards through the 12th round, and then Louis knocked him out in the 13th.

Center fielder Byron Buxton made his Target Field debut Wednesday night in front of a crowd that appeared to be divided equally between curious Twins fans and those loyal to the visiting St. Louis Cardinals.

Buxton had played three road games and went 2-for-10, with two runs scored and three strikeouts. What was demonstrated in those three games was that Buxton can run — really, really run — and that it is difficult for a raw rookie to hide from the realities of big-league pitching.

Two of the strikeouts came in his debut Sunday in Texas, when he chased breaking pitches that were a foot off the plate. The third strikeout came Tuesday when he was devoured on a Michael Wacha sinker under the hands in St. Louis.

Buxton is arriving in the big leagues at a time when there is better pitching than at any time in history. To validate this theory I asked Roy Smalley, a Twins analyst for Fox Sports North, if he saw it that way.

Smalley grew up in the game with his father Roy and his uncle Gene Mauch as big-leaguers. He then played in the big leagues for 13 seasons.

Asked if there’s more good pitching now than ever, Smalley said: “I think so. There are a lot of deep starting rotations, and then there’s the real difference … the bullpens. There are guys who throw as hard as Dave Righetti used to throw, pitching in the seventh inning, not the ninth.’’

To put it another way, this might be the toughest time ever for a young hitter to make his way in the big leagues, because he’s not going to get many at-bats against chumps … or, as we used to call them, middle relievers.

The Twins returned home Wednesday from a 1-4 road trip and with a 4-11 record in June. This had put the brakes on all that feel-good stuff from May (20-7) and helped to turn Buxton-mania into something more resembling the Gophers’ welcome home after winning the 2014 NIT championship.

Buxton’s first Target Field at-bat came with one out in the third. Some of the Twins fans tried to urge a standing ovation, but it was more an earnest reception than a special one.

Carlos Martinez, a pitcher with outstanding stuff, went to 2-0 on Buxton and then got him to hit a chopper toward shortstop. There was a brief anticipation of an infield hit, but third baseman Matt Carpenter cut off the ball and threw out Buxton by a step.

Buxton’s astounding speed did come into play in the third, when Carpenter hit a drive to deep center. Buxton got moving right away and ran it down. This time, the home crowd did muster something close to a roar of approval.

This is the fourth professional season for Buxton and he arrived in Texas on Sunday with 1,168 plate appearances. That total would have been over 1,500 if not for injuries.

So, yes, he was pushed because of the Twins’ void in center field. Throw in the fact he’s 21 years and 6 months, and it’s a good bet that his mind is going to be racing when he steps in the batter’s box for quite some time.

That was obvious in his second at-bat against Martinez. Chris Herrmann was on to open the fifth with a walk. Buxton took a strike, swung through a pitch and then, on 0-and-2, had to be guessing he would get a fastball.

Maybe that’s the way they do it in the Southern League. Martinez threw a breaking pitch to the heart of the plate and Buxton looked in amazement for strike three.

Buxton came up again in the seventh with two on and one out. This time, he struck out on a breaking pitch near the opposite batter’s box.

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Yes, folks, this is going to take some time.

Twins fans were ready for Byron Buxton’s Target Field debut Jason Gonzalez | Star Tribune | June 18, 2015

Bustling Target Field seemed to pause for a moment when Byron Buxton stepped out of the on-deck circle toward his first at-bat in front of a hometown crowd Wednesday night.

Fans walking the concourse in the bottom of the third inning pulled over to catch a glimpse of what they hoped would be a historic moment for the Twins organization and what’s been touted the biggest call-up since Joe Mauer and even Kirby Puckett.

Some fans rose to their feet for the at-bat, including Buxton’s fiancée, Lindsey Tillery. Buxton’s father, Felton, captured the groundout to shortstop with his cellphone, and Buxton’s mother, Carrie, rocked grandson Brixton in her arms as he slept through the loud ovation welcoming the former No. 2 overall draft pick to the Twin Cities.

Buxton’s slow chopper ignited a small roar from the fans expecting his speed to beat out the throw for the second infield hit of his 4-day-old big league career. It didn’t happen, but he showed off his wheels in the top half of the third inning by easily tracking down a drive in the gap in right-center.

“It’s been a long time waiting to see him make this level,” Felton Buxton said. “It’s nice to see him on this field here.”

Carrie Buxton couldn’t help but giggle when hearing that her son’s jersey was the hottest item in the pro shop Wednesday. Buxton’s parents and sister weren’t able to attend his major league debut Sunday on the road and were watching him play with the Twins in person for the first time Wednesday.

Twins fans made sure the organization’s young star and his family felt welcome.

“I saw him make that running grab. That was pretty awesome to see him run around Target Field for the first time,” Mike Purtell said while wearing Buxton’s old Cedar Rapids No. 7 jersey. “I think he’ll be here to stay, and he’ll be an all-star in a few years.”

Beyond the two third-inning highlights, Buxton’s debut was underwhelming — an 0-for-3 night with two strikeouts in the Twins’ 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. However, that didn’t keep fans from buying the new Buxton apparel that arrived at the stadium early Wednesday.

The sight of “Buxton” lining the window display of Target Field’s main pro shop propelled Mason Clemensen’s walk into a run. The 13-year-old from Savage rushed through the doors eager to retire his Buxton Class A Miracle apparel for his favorite player’s No. 25 Twins jersey.

Mason and his dad, Chad, arrived at the ballpark nearly four hours before Buxton made his home debut in front of an announced crowd of 34,381 to guarantee their chances of scoring gear. Buxton T-shirts were briefly sold out an hour before game time, but were quickly restocked.

“We saw them when we were walking up [to the stadium] and [Mason] said ‘There they are!’ So we ran right up here,” Chad said. “Buxton brings some exciting tools that the Twins haven’t had in a long time with his speed and athleticism.”

Mason met Buxton at spring training and “was really excited to see him get called up.”

Longtime Twins fan Kris Kracht and his son, Noah, also were some of the first to buy Buxton gear and bought tickets to Wednesday’s game just to see the newest member of the Twins.

“I grew up a huge Kirby Puckett fan and for me this is the most excitement surrounding the Twins since I was a kid, in terms of a debut,” Kris said. “We’re here to maybe see something historic. Who knows? Twenty-five years from now maybe this will be the next Twins Hall of Famer. … When he got the call-up, I thought this is one of the moments I gotta go buy a ticket and not watch it at home on my couch. There seems to be a different buzz [about Buxton].”

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Former ‘Nibbler’ gobbles up Cardinals in Twins’ 3-1 win La Velle E. Neal III | Star Tribune | June 18, 2015

As the search for the Twins offense continues, Tommy Milone on Wednesday showed again why he no longer can be called The Nibbler.

Milone pounded the strike zone for most of the night, neutralizing St. Louis Cardinals hitters. It enabled the little offense the Twins mustered to hold up in a 3-1 victory at Target Field. Closer Glen Perkins came on in the eighth to finish the game and make him 23-for-23 in save situations, the longest streak to start a season since the Angels’ Huston Street saved 23 consecutive in 2014.

Milone (3-1) weaved his way around the Cardinals batting order with pitches on the corners and a baffling breaking ball. It was perfect time for Milone to have a strong start, because the Twins entered Wednesday having lost seven of their previous eight games.

St. Louis opened the scoring in the second inning as Milone ran his pitch count up to 41. Mark Reynolds doubled of the right-field wall to begin the inning, then eventually scored on Jason Heyward’s single to center. Milone found a groove, retiring eight consecutive hitters at one point. Cardinals hitters swung and missed his curveball all night.

“Early on I felt like I was throwing good pitches, but I was throwing deep counts.’’ Milone said. “I was able to make that pitch to get out of it. As the game went on, I was able to get in a little bit more of a rhythm, started getting guys out of there earlier.’’

The mystery was how the Twins were going to come up with runs; they entered Wednesday having scored two or fewer runs 10 times in June.

Trevor Plouffe opened the fourth with a leadoff double. Eddie Rosario hit a one-out single to right, but Plouffe was held at third. That brought up Eduardo Nunez, who was praised by manager Paul Molitor before the game for his recent run of quality at-bats.

But all Nunez had to do was stand in the batter’s box and watch the Twins tie the score. St. Louis righthander Carlos Martinez sent a pickoff throw to first that Reynolds flat-out missed for an error. Plouffe jogged home as Rosario raced to third. Nunez then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Rosario for a 2-1 Twins lead.

“We got a break on the misplay,’’ Molitor said. “That was a two-run inning for us.’’

Milone, who was recalled from Class AAA Rochester on June 4, shut down the Cardinals before being replaced by Casey Fien in the eighth. A month ago, Milone was in the minors because he picked at the corners of the strike zone, walked batters and ran into big innings. On Wednesday, he held St. Louis to one run over seven innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He has walked only one batter over his past two outings.

“I had too many walks,’’ he said. “I was nibbling around the plate. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to go down [to Rochester] and be aggressive, come back up here and do the same thing.’’

Rosario tripled and scored on Nunez’s infield single — Reynolds’ foot came off the bag as he caught the throw — that made it 3-1 in the eighth.

Perkins completed his four-out save by giving up two singles to start the ninth before striking out Reynolds and Randal Grichuk and getting Yadier Molina on a check-swing grounder back to the mound.

“Just to get a win in general is a lot of fun,’’ Milone said. “I feel like our mentality hasn’t changed. We know good teams go through stretches like we’ve had. We did it. It was the beginning of the year. It is just a matter of time before we come out of it, and we’ll be a better team for it.’’

Byron Buxton’s call-up was one of the Twins’ fastest Marino Eccher | Pioneer Press | June 17, 2015

Back during spring training, we took an educated guess based on history and plate appearances that treasured Twins prosepcts Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano might make their big-league debuts in late June.

Buxton -- in trademark speedy fashion -- beat us there, getting the call last weekend. Even for him, this was fast: by our count, his debut is the quickest by a Twins hitting prospect over the past decade.

As we covered in March, the team has called up 28 position players since 2004 who met the following criteria:

-- Came up through the minors

-- Made their major league debut with the Twins

-- Had a long enough career to exceed rookie service time limits

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The average prospect from that group saw about 2,000 minor-league plate appearances, 570 of them at Double A. The fastest -- Joe Mauer -- made the journey in 1,177 plate appearances, 310 at Double A.

Buxton just edged him out, with 1,168 plate appearances in the minors, 271 at Double A. It's far from the fastest route to the majors in Twins history -- Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek, for instance, skipped Double A altogether -- but by modern standards, it's quite expeditious.

Mauer forced the issue by hitting .341 with a .400 on-base percentage at Double A. Buxton's bat isn't there -- although his .279/.351 marks at that level after a slow start were perfectly respectable. But he can run down a fly ball just fine. and joins a team that, in spite of recent struggles, is more relevant than most people expected.

That leaves the question of when we're going to see Sano. Manager Paul Molitor said this week it could happen soon if he shows the consistency the organization is looking for.

Following a dismal April, Sano is hitting .257 at Double A this year with a healthy .358 on-base percentage and .505 slugging percentage. He's already spent more than 1,800 plate appearances in the minors. But his glovework has been rough, putting more onus on his offense to make a call-up worthwhile.

Molitor's timeline was noncommital: a call-up could come in September, he said, or in the next few weeks.

The latter gives a glimmer of hope that our original projection -- late June -- is still in play. So hit that ball hard, Miguel, and make us look good.

Byron Buxton -- and Twins fans -- excited for debut Brian Murphy | Pioneer Press | June 17, 2015

Three years after Minnesota drafted him No. 2 overall, Byron Buxton returned to Target Field on Wednesday as the team's most celebrated prospect since Joe Mauer debuted in 2004.

"Very special," Buxton said during a pregame news conference. "This is one of the dreams I wanted to (accomplish), play center field for the Twins one day. Finally getting that to happen today, so I'm very anxious to get out there and make that happen."

Attendance was 34,381 for Buxton's first game in Minnesota against the St. Louis Cardinals after the Twins promoted the 21-year-old speedster from Double-A Chattanooga to make his major league debut Sunday at Texas.

Buxton was 2 for 10 with a triple and three strikeouts in three road games against the Rangers and Cardinals. He went 0 for 3 on Wednesday night.

"The first few days have been pretty hectic and a little rushed for me," he said before the game. "I'm slowing it down day by day with the help of my teammates and coaches."

Buxton visited Target Field and took batting practice with the Twins in 2012 after the Baxley, Ga., native was drafted out of high school. He played parts of four injury-marred minor league seasons but still ascended rapidly through the system to become Baseball America's top-ranked prospect.

"First couple things I'm going to do is get acclimated to the surroundings, see how the ball flies here," he said. "It's been awhile since I've been on the field, so it's going to be fun to get out there to chase fly balls down and try to help us win this game."

Buxton said his parents, Felton and Carrie, arrived in the Twin Cities about 2 p.m. They were scheduled to attend his first big-league game along with his fiancee, Lindsey Tillery, and the couple's 18-month-old son, Brix.

"He don't have a clue what's going on right now, but one day I'll be able to tell him what happened, and that I gave him my first hit," Buxton said. "Hopefully he understands."

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Twins: Joe Mauer moved to No. 2 slot as Molitor tweaks lineup Brian Murphy | Pioneer Press | June 17, 2015

For just the second time this season Joe Mauer was moved up from his usual third spot in the Twins batting order to No. 2 Wednesday as manager Paul Molitor tried to jolt his moribund offense.

Torii Hunter, the everyday No. 2 hitter, batted cleanup against the Cardinals at Target Field, while Trevor Plouffe moved up one spot to No. 3.

Entering play, the Twins had been held to two or fewer runs in eight of 10 games, hitting a paltry .216 with just 24 runs during a 2-8 skid.

"We'll keep tweaking," Molitor said. "I don't want to be the guy that overhauls things drastically. I don't think that sends a very good message. I don't like to do things just for effect."

Mauer had only two extra-base hits with nine strikeouts in 15 June games entering play.

"I like Joe in the lineup," Molitor said.

After their pitchers hit during a pair of interleague games at St. Louis, the Twins were able to have a designated hitter again at home, which allowed Kennys Vargas to return to the lineup.

BRIEFLY

The Twins released veteran right-handed reliever Tim Stauffer, whose ineffective stint in Minnesota ended after just 13 appearances. Signed as a free agent for $2.2 million in December after nine seasons with San Diego, Stauffer posted a 6.60 earned-run average and allowed 24 hits in 15 innings. "We had high hopes he'd be a pretty good fit, but it just didn't work out," general manager Terry Ryan said.

Minnesota Twins: Glen Perkins answers call in win over Cardinals Brian Murphy | Pioneer Press | June 17, 2015

With only one appearance in 10 days, Twins closer Glen Perkins was more than ready for duty Wednesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

With only two victories in the past eight games, manager Paul Molitor was eager to secure a rare win against baseball's best team.

With two outs in the eighth inning and the Twins clinging to a one-run lead, a well-rested Perkins answered Molitor's summons for another four-out save, creating just enough anxiety for an entertaining finish.

Perkins yielded consecutive singles to Matt Carpenter and Jhonny Peralta to start the ninth inning, bore down to strike out cleanup hitter Mark Reynolds and Randal Grichuk swinging and then retired Yadier Molina on a check-swing comebacker.

His 23rd consecutive save of 2015 secured a 3-1 Twins victory in front of 34,381 at Target Field.

The win did plenty to take the edge off the Twins, who opened an eight-game homestand having lost eight of their previous 10 during a 4-11 June.

It took some sloppy Cardinals defense for Minnesota to erase an early 1-0 deficit. But it was Perkins' third four-out save of the season that highlighted Molitor's more aggressive deployment of his all-star closer.

Molitor approached Perkins in December about expanding his role. The veteran left-hander had recorded only three previous four-out saves but immediately embraced new opportunities.

"I want to win," Perkins said. "I don't want to be in that bullpen if something happens and I don't get to pitch. So I'm all for it."

Molitor noted how Perkins was collecting rust during the Twins' June swoon. After another quality start from the rotation, this time Tommy Milone's seven solid innings, the manager did not want to leave a late lead to chance against the dangerous Cardinals after losing two games this week at Busch Stadium.

"It seemed like a night we could really use a win, and if I got an opportunity with two outs in the eighth and a left-handed matchup, it seemed like the right time," Molitor said. "I always get a little nervous even (with him) getting out of the eighth and then sitting there through the (bottom of the eighth) and having to go back out there.

"It got a little bit interesting, but he was able to get it done."

Perkins relieved Casey Fien with two outs in the eighth and a runner on second and got Kolten Wong to fly out.

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After Carpenter and Peralta reached base, Perkins attacked Reynolds with fastball after fastball, which Reynolds continually fouled off before swinging through a slider.

"First and second with a two-run lead, that's a spot where you've got to get a strikeout," Perkins said. "I couldn't get a fastball by him no matter where I threw it. Finally got a good slider past."

A fourth-inning fielding error by Reynolds at first base led to an unearned run.

Trevor Plouffe scored from third when Reynolds failed to corral Carlos Martinez's pick-off attempt of Eddie Rosario, who eventually scored on Eduardo Nunez's sacrifice fly.

Minnesota added a run in the eighth inning when Rosario tripled and scored on Nunez's RBI single.

The Twins had been held to two runs or fewer eight out of 10 games -- scoring just 24 runs during their 2-8 skid.

"We had some good at-bats at the right times and got enough runs to make it stand up," said Molitor. "Tough to come by in this series."

Milone (3-1) allowed only five hits and struck out five over seven innings. In his past two starts, he has a 1.93 earned-run average with one walk and 13 strikeouts, heeding the demands to pitch more aggressively after being demoted to the minors.

"After two innings I was up to 40 pitches," he said. "I felt like I had to attack the zone more, get them out of there early and get deeper into the game."

Tom Powers: Byron Buxton Era gets off to a quiet start Tom Powers | Pioneer Press | June 17, 2015

This could be the start of the Byron Buxton Era. Or we may just be taking a break during the Aaron Hicks Era. Or perhaps we're still officially mourning the passing of the Denard Span Era. It's all very confusing and there's no telling at the moment.

If this really is Buxton's time, it's the result of odd coincidence. A fluke. A one-in-a-million set of circumstances.

"Shock went through me," Buxton says of getting called up last Sunday.

It probably went through the Twins' front office, too, as it had no intention of summoning him to the big leagues so soon. It's not the Twins' way to rush into anything, and Buxton has yet to play at the Triple-A level. What were the chances of Hicks coming up with a bum elbow the same day Torii Hunter began serving his two-game suspension?

"The reason that Buxton is here is because our (regular) people were not there," general manager Terry Ryan said. "We didn't have Hunter and we didn't have Hicks."

Buxton should send flowers to Hunter for channeling "Slap Shot's" Ned Braden and doing a public striptease against the Royals last week. And umpire Mark Ripperger should at least get chocolates for his role in the burlesque episode. This is a very unlikely opportunity for Buxton. The length of his stay has yet to be determined.

"I'm looking at this as a start," Buxton said Wednesday, before the Twins' 3-1 victory over the Cardinals.

"I'm not really trying to come up here to get sent back down."

Good attitude. But Buxton probably has until Hicks comes off the disabled list on June 28 to prove he belongs. It would be very much like the Twins to send him to Triple-A for more seasoning. There also is the possibility that he grabs hold of the job and won't let go.

"I imagine that could happen," manager Paul Molitor said. "And a lot of people hope that's going to happen. You know, Hicks went down and Buxton was the right guy to come up, given the injury and the opening that we had. You're hoping a kid with that kind of skill level can take it and run with it.

"But like a lot of people who have come up here and been very talented, it doesn't always go exactly the way you might hope it does. I'm not going to get too far ahead of that because I'm just watching the kid day to day and trying to find ways to win games."

Buxton made a nice running catch in the third inning on a drive off the bat of Matt Carpenter. Later in the inning, he made his first Target Field plate appearance and received a rousing ovation. He hit a routine grounder to third, then raced down the line to make it a fairly close play. That amounts to a pleasant diversion but nothing really substantial.

Overall, his night wasn't a particularly good one. In the fifth, he struck out on three straight pitches, looking at the last one. In the seventh, he struck out on a pitch that was so low and outside he missed it by a foot. He'll likely settle down.

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"It looks like he's really trying to track the ball early in the count and maybe taking some pitches he can get a whack at," Molitor said afterward. "He's going to have to battle with two strikes for now. It's probably one of the last things to come for the development of major league hitters is being a good two-strike hitter. Especially for a guy with that kind of speed. We'll keep working on it."

"He's going to run here the same he runs down at Double-A," Ryan said. "He's going to throw about the same. And he's probably going to cover the same ground. He's probably going to field fine."

It comes down to hitting.

"That's the separator on people that stay or go," Ryan said.

Buxton played in front of far more people (34,381) Wednesday night than reside in his hometown of Baxley, Ga. (4,400). Until his call-up, Buxton said he had never played baseball in front of more than "maybe five or six thousand in Chattanooga."

A lot of them came to Target Field to see Buxton. They wanted to be there for the start of something that could be special.

"I hope it is," Ryan said. "I hope it's the start of something big. People have to be productive. We just don't give out jobs."

Analyzing the Draft by division: AL Central Jim Callis | MLB.com | June 17, 2015

Minnesota Twins

The Twins have picked in the top six in the past four Drafts, and they followed Byron Buxton (2012), Kohl Stewart (2013) and Nick Gordon (2014) with Illinois LHP Tyler Jay (No. 6 overall) this June. Jay made just two starts in three years of college, but he has the stuff, command and delivery to develop into a front-line starter, which is Minnesota's plan for him.

They gave up their second-rounder to sign free agent Ervin Santana, but the Twins may have found another future starter in Kentucky RHP Kyle Cody (supplemental second round), who has a mid-90s fastball. As for bats, Pottsville (Pa.) Area High's Travis Blankenhorn (third) and Grainger High's (Rutledge, Tenn.) Trey Cabbage fit the third-base profile well and Oak Forest Academy (Amite, La.) 1B Kolton Kendrick (eighth) had as much raw power as anyone available.

Garcia, Pelfrey to close out Twins-Cards meetings Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | June 17, 2015

The Twins and Cardinals will wrap up their home-and-home four-game matchup with a getaway-day matinee on Thursday at Target Field. The Cardinals had their five-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday.

Jaime Garcia will get the ball for St. Louis, making just his sixth start of the season after recovering from last year's season-ending shoulder surgery. Garcia is 2-3 with a 2.06 ERA.

The Twins will counter with Mike Pelfrey, who was rocked by Texas in a season-worst performance on June 13. Pelfrey gave up eight runs and didn't make it to the fourth inning in the loss, but he has been a reliable asset in the Twins' rotation, entering Thursday with a 3.18 ERA.

Three things to know about this game

• Pelfrey will be making his fourth start against the Cardinals in his career, and his fifth appearance. He is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 21 innings pitched. However, he hasn't faced the Cardinals since 2011, when he was a member of the Mets.

• Garcia struggled with control in his first start of the season, giving up five walks in a loss to the Mets on May 21. But since then, he hasn't walked anybody. His walkless streak has reached 30 innings.

• The Twins are 3-9 in their last 12 games. They've lost two to Milwaukee, three against Kansas City, two to Texas and two to St. Louis.

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Twins release veteran righty Stauffer Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Right-handed reliever Tim Stauffer, who was designated for assignment on June 10, was released by the Twins on Wednesday, general manager Terry Ryan said.

Stauffer, who signed a one-year deal worth $2.2 million before the season, posted a 6.60 ERA with six strikeouts and seven walks in 15 innings. He also missed 19 games in May with a right intercostal strain.

Stauffer, 33, has a career 3.94 ERA in 590 innings. He had a 3.63 ERA over his previous two seasons with the Padres but was unable to replicate that success in Minnesota.

"He'll be a free agent, so he'll be able to pursue offers, and I suspect somebody is going to end up picking him up," Ryan said. "I had high hopes he was going to be a good fit, but unfortunately it didn't work out for either of us. He's disappointed and I'm disappointed. It just didn't work out, for whatever reason. He was a good guy on this team, so it's not like he didn't fit in. But it just didn't work out."

Twins announce deal with No. 6 pick Jay Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins wasted no time in signing left-hander Tyler Jay, who was taken by the club with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2015 First-Year Player Draft.

The Twins introduced Jay at a press conference at Target Field on Wednesday after the former University of Illinois standout passed his physical. Jay's signing bonus is worth the full slot amount of $3,889,500, according to MLB.com's Jim Callis. The Twins, however, did not announce the bonus amount.

Jay, who was drafted on the same day he pitched his final game with Illinois in the NCAA Super Regionals on June 8, said it's finally starting to sink in that he's a professional pitcher now.

"It's real, but at the same time, I know it's not an easy road to get to the Majors," Jay said. "You've got a lot of work to do. So it's just kind of the beginning for me. So I'm just going to keep that mentality."

Jay, though, could be on the fast track to the Majors, as he'll be used as a reliever this season before being converted to a starter next season. He's also skipping a couple of levels in the Minors, as he'll be starting his career at Class A Advanced Fort Myers after participating in the organization's minicamp.

"He's got good stuff," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "He's got four pitches and he throws them over the plate. He ought to be able to compete at that level in the Florida State League." Jay was ranked by MLB.com as the No. 9 overall prospect entering the Draft, and also was rated as the player most likely to make his Major League debut this season, much like the Royals did with Brandon Finnegan last year. "Hopefully I just throw well wherever I'm going, and improve my abilities," Jay said. "However long it takes, as long as I help the team out, is what I want to do." This year at Illinois, Jay went 5-2 with a 1.08 ERA in 66 2/3 innings (two starts). He was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, a Louisville Slugger All-American and a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award.

"He kind of worked up that ladder of Draft boards this spring," Ryan said. "He probably started the year as a possible first-rounder. In the first month or so, he started to get into people's crosshairs a little higher than first round -- they started to consider him up there in the mid-round, and all of a sudden, he continued to move on up the boards, and ultimately he was talked about in the Top 10."

The Twins also announced they signed fifth-rounder Alex Robinson. Robinson, a hard-throwing left-hander from the University of Maryland, posted a 1.63 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 20 walks in 27 2/3 innings this season.

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Milone gives Twins big outing vs. Cards Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 18, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- After losing nine of their last 11 games and two straight games in St. Louis, the Twins headed home to Target Field looking for a much-needed win on Wednesday night.

Left-hander Tommy Milone delivered, giving up just one run on five hits and no walks over seven innings to help carry Minnesota to a 3-1 win over the Cardinals. Milone picked up his first win since April 16, but has posted a 2.37 ERA in three starts since rejoining the rotation after a stint at Triple-A Rochester.

"From the first pitch to the last, I felt like I was in control the whole time," Milone said. "I was able to throw strikes with all my pitches. Getting ahead was key, and even when I wasn't, I was able to get back into counts with good pitches."

Milone's curveball was a difference-maker, as he kept hitters off-balance and also used it to finish hitters, as he struck out five batters. The lone run he gave up came in the second on an RBI single from Jason Heyward, but he settled down after that.

Milone's performance impressed closer Glen Perkins, who turned in a strong showing of his own, recording his third four-out save of the season to preserve the victory and improve to 23-for-23 in save opportunities.

"Just in general, not even from what we've done the last week or week and a half, that was an awesome start," Perkins said. "We got him enough runs tonight. He was impressive. He moved the ball around. His offspeed stuff down in the zone, guys couldn't stay back on that curveball. He com Milone didn't need much run support, but Eddie Rosario and Eduardo Nunez carried the offense. Rosario with 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs, while Nunez went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs. Rosario also made a nice play in left to rob Yadier Molina of a double to end the seventh, cutting off a ball in the gap and making a strong throw to get him at second base.

"We've had a tough June to this point, and everything backs that up, but we're hanging in there," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Rosario has been one guy who has been pretty steady, even when we're having trouble winning games. He's been good on both sides of the ball."

Perkins also came up big in the ninth, as he worked himself out of a jam with two runners on and nobody out. It was a win the Twins are hoping to build on after struggling so far in June after going 20-7 in May.

"I feel like our mentality hasn't changed," Milone said. "Good teams go through stretches like this like we've had. We had one like this at the beginning of the year. So we know it's just a matter of time before we snap out of it, and we'll be a better team for it."

Buxton: Making home debut ‘very special’ Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | June 18, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- After starting his career with three road games, Byron Buxton made his highly anticipated home debut with the Twins in the 3-1 win over the Cardinals on Wednesday night.

It marked Buxton's first time on the field at Target Field since a workout there after he was drafted as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 Draft. Buxton, ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect by MLBPipeline.com, served the club's No. 9 hitter for a fourth straight day and started in center field.

He went 0-for-3 at the plate with a pair of strikeouts, but made a nice running catch near the wall in right-center field to rob Matt Carpenter of an extra-base hit in the third inning.

Twins manager Paul Molitor said he believes Buxton will start making adjustments after starting his career by going 2-for-13.

"I think he's very good at taking good things and bad things from at-bats, regardless of outcomes," Molitor said. "We're just going to continue, as he plays here, to make sure he has no fear of being aggressive. It looks like he's tracking pitches early in the count that maybe he could take a whack at. He's going to have to battle with two strikes, but that's usually one of the last things to come."

Buxton received a large ovation from the crowd of 34,481 at Target Field before his first at-bat, and said before the game he was looking forward to his home debut.

"It's very special," Buxton said before the game. "Especially not having not been on the field here since 2012. This was a dream I wanted, to play center field for the Twins someday, and it happened today."

Buxton said he was excited to play in front of the home crowd, but that opening his career on the road helped him get the jitters out of the way.

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"Playing in different environments helps you out before you get back home, especially starting off," Buxton said. "I feel like if I would've started off at home, I would've been nervous. I wouldn't have wanted to let people down. But starting out on the road, it was just playing and trying to help the team win."

Buxton, who had his contract purchased from Double-A Chattanooga before Sunday's game in Texas, said the biggest differences have been the speed of the game and the quality of the breaking pitches he's seen.

"I did my best to try to slow things down as much as I could, but the first few days were a little hectic," Buxton said. "So I'm just trying to slow it down day by day, and that's with the help of my teammates and coaches."

Buxton added that he plans on keeping his No. 25 jersey as his permanent number after wearing No. 7 -- Joe Mauer's number -- in the Minors. And he also said he wants to make his time in the Majors permanent as well.

"I look at this as a start," Buxton said. "I'm not up here to try to get sent back down. I'm up here to try to help us win any way I can. Trying to score runs and help us win, that's what I'm going to do."

Milone, Twins end Cardinals winning streak Rhett Bollinger and Betsy Helfand | MLB.com | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Left-hander Tommy Milone threw seven solid innings, outdueling Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez, to lead the Twins to a 3-1 win on Wednesday night at Target Field, snapping a five-game win streak for St. Louis.

After losing nine of their previous 11 games, including two straight in St. Louis, the Twins needed a strong start from Milone, and it's exactly what they got. Milone, who faced the minimum in six of his seven innings, gave up just one run on five hits and no walks to pick up his first win since April 16. The lone run he gave up came in the second on an RBI single from Jason Heyward.

Martinez earned the hard-luck loss after surrendering two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings. He was hurt by an errant pickoff throw in the fourth that scored a run and set up a go-ahead sacrifice fly from Eduardo Nunez.

"All three games have been very tight, and little things can turn out to be the difference-makers," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We got a break on the errant throw to first, or the misplay. That was a two-run inning for us. Tommy did a nice job and minimized the inning after Heyward's RBI, and gave us seven strong innings."

Twins top prospect Byron Buxton made his Target Field debut, going 0-for-3 at the plate with two strikeouts. But he made a nice running catch to rob Matt Carpenter of extra bases in the third.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Twins capitalize on errant pickoff: With runners at first and third with one out in the fifth, Martinez threw over to first base, but Mark Reynolds couldn't handle the throw, allowing Trevor Plouffe to score and Eddie Rosario to reach third base. Nunez scored Rosario with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Twins a 2-1 lead.

"Giving extra bases, giving outs, is not a good recipe," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.

Cardinals score early: St. Louis got on the board early, with Reynolds and Randal Grichuk leading off the second with consecutive hits. After a Yadier Molina strikeout, Heyward delivered, driving in the Cardinals' lone run of the night. The Cardinals had an opportunity to inflict more damage, but Milone struck out Peter Bourjos and Pete Kozma, stranding two runners in scoring position.

"Little bit of a chance there to do a little bit more, but also, we gave them a little bit, too," Matheny said.

Perkins records four-out save: With the Twins clinging to a one-run lead with a runner at second base and two outs in the eighth, Molitor decided to bring in his closer in Glen Perkins The lefty got Kolten Wong to fly out to left to end the eighth and threw a scoreless ninth to improve to a perfect 23-for-23 in save opportunities this season.

"When Mollie talked to me about it in December and asked how I felt, I said I wanted to do it," Perkins said of four-out saves. "I want to win. I don't want to be in that bullpen if something happens and I don't pitch. So I'm all for it."

Choate comes through: The Cardinals' bullpen entered Wednesday's game with a sub-2.00 ERA. In the seventh, Randy Choate came through, helping keep the game in check. After Martinez loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, manager Mike Matheny brought in Choate, who promptly struck out Twins first baseman Joe Mauer on a slider.

REPLAY REVIEW With Rosario at third base after a two-out triple off reliever Matt Belisle in the eighth, Nunez hit a chopper to shortstop and was ruled out at

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first base by umpire Paul Nauert. But after a replay review, it was determined that Reynolds pulled his foot off the bag, so the call was overturned and the Twins got an insurance run.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Perkins entered the season with just three career saves of more than three outs, but has matched that total this year. He also recorded four-out saves against the A's on May 7 and the Red Sox on May 26. He's the first Twins closer with three saves of more than an than inning since Joe Nathan in 2007.

WHAT'S NEXT Cardinals: Jaime Garcia gets the ball for the Cardinals as they close out their four-game stretch with Minnesota. Garcia is 2-3 with a 2.06 ERA since returning in May from last year's season-ending shoulder surgery. He hasn't allowed a walk since his first start of the season.

Twins: Right-hander Mike Pelfrey gets the start in the series finale on Thursday afternoon at 12:10 p.m. CT. Pelfrey is coming off his worst outing of the season, as he gave up eight runs on 11 hits over 3 2/3 innings against the Rangers on Saturday. But he's still been solid this year, with a 3.18 ERA in 12 starts.

Twins sign first-round pick Jay, who will join Miracle as a reliever Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins on Wednesday signed their 2015 first round draft pick, left-hander Tyler Jay, out of the University of Illinois.

The recommended signing bonus for the sixth pick in the draft is roughly $3.9 million, according to Baseball America.

Jay, who closed games for the Illini, will begin his career as a reliever in Fort Myers for the Class High-A Miracle. First, he'll go through a minicamp in the same city to get acclimated to pro baseball, general manager Terry Ryan said. After this season as a reliever, the Twins envision Jay making a transition into a starting pitcher. Using him in the bullpen this summer will allow the Twins to curb his innings thrown this year.

Being at Target Field might have helped Jay recognize the future possibilities his career could present. But he also hasn't lost perspective that once he leaves the park Wednesday, it'll be a long road to get back.

"It's real but at the same time I know it's not an easy road to get to the Majors. You've got a lot of work to do. So it's just kind of the beginning for me," Jay said at a press conference announcing the signing.

He had some family in attendance Wednesday to see Target Field, as he fielded questions from the media and later got a tour of Target Field.

Ryan said there was a lot to like about Jay, and that's why they passed on several other highly skilled players drafted just after Jay.

"His stuff, his ability to throw it over the plate, left-handed would be a piece that we were very interested in," Ryan said, enumerating the traits they liked in Jay. "Stomach, he's got guts, he's not afraid, he goes after [batters]. ... He's been successful."

Jay's advisor is Scott Leventhal, and as of this writing, Jay is the first of the top-9 draft picks to sign for the full slot value.

As for how they decided to stick him in High-A, where the average age is roughly two years older than Jay, Ryan's explanation was simple.

"He's got good stuff. He's got four pitches and he throws them over the plate," Ryan said. "He ought to be able to compete at that level in the Florida State League."

If he performs well, he certainly could shoot up the Twins minor league ladder. And that wouldn't be his first time moving up. According to Ryan, Jay's season with Illinois had him from a potential first-round pick to the eventual sixth pick in the draft.

"He kind of worked up that ladder of draft boards this spring," Ryan said. "He probably started the year as a possible first-rounder. In the first month or so he started to get into people's crosshairs a little higher than first round-they started to consider him up there in the mid-round and all of a sudden he continued to move on up the boards and ultimately he was talked about in the top-10."

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Zulgad: Ready or not, Buxton getting chance to make first impression Judd Zulgad | 1500espn.com | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Byron Buxton became one of the fastest players in the big leagues upon his call up to the Twins last weekend in Texas, but that speed has done little to help him keep up with the whirlwind he has experienced during his first few days in the majors.

"I've done my best to try to slow things down as much as I could, but the first three days were pretty hectic and a little rushed for me," the 21-year-old phenom said Wednesday before making his Target Field debut in center field. "I'm slowing it down day-by-day and that's with the help of my teammates and coaches here."

Make no mistake, this is a process for Buxton. It continued Wednesday as he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Twins' 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. That left Buxton at 2-for-13 in his first four games.

Buxton, of course, is considered the crown jewel of a group of prospects who have either made their big-league debuts or are getting close to joining the Twins.

"If you're not excited to have him here you don't have a soul," said Torii Hunter, who spent the first nine seasons of his big-league career patrolling center field for the Twins and returned this past offseason as a free agent.

Hunter, now the Twins' right fielder, need not worry.

Many in the announced crowd of 34,381 in downtown Minneapolis - at least those who weren't wearing Cardinals colors - were curious to get their first in-person look at the second-overall pick in the 2012 draft.

This will go down as one of the most anticipated home debuts by a Twins rookie since the franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961, and was big enough that the team's public relations department decided to have Buxton speak at an afternoon press conference in the media room.

"He's had this attention ever since the day he was selected in that (2012) draft, when we brought him up here," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "He goes to the minor league affiliates, every place he goes people are after him for either interviews or autographs. ... It's a lot like (Joe) Mauer. Mauer had a lot of that (type of attention)."

Buxton did not disappoint in the field Wednesday, making a nice running catch of a Matt Carpenter drive to the left-center field gap in the top of the third inning. Buxton then received a nice round of applause when he came up in the bottom of the inning. He hit a routine bouncer to third and was thrown out on a close play at first.

Both Buxton's catch and his first out of the game put on display one of his greatest attributes. The man is lightning fast and runs like a deer when he's moving around the bases or chasing down fly balls. Veteran baseball folks reference all-world athlete Bo Jackson when asked for a comparison to Buxton in the speed department.

"We all know the potential and the tools that he has," Hunter said. "You guys just have to wait and let him learn the league, figure out what teams are trying to do to him and what the pitchers are doing. Defensively, I think this guy right away is going to make an impact on our ball club.

"Offensively, I think he's the type of athlete that he can make adjustments on his own. But also you just have to give him a little leeway to try to figure out the league and what these guys have. Whether the cutter breaks 2 inches or the sinker drops 45 inches. We'll just have to see how it works out, but we all know the potential and the athletic ability that God has blessed him with. This guy is going to be special."

But it is going to take some time for that to happen and, thus, patience must be exercised by everyone from the players to the front office to the fan base. Buxton earned the call up from Double-A Chattanooga on Saturday after hitting .283 with 12 triples, six home runs, 37 runs batted in and 20 stolen bases in 59 games.

That success came in the Southern League - a long way from the filthy breaking stuff thrown by big-league pitchers.

"It's quite a difference," Buxton said when asked about the pitching. "Especially off speed, breaking pitches. I'm not used to seeing sharp breaks as much in Chattanooga. I just have to get used to it and adjust to how they pitch me here."

That is easy to say, but not nearly as easy to do.

Evidence of this came in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Buxton was frozen by a slider from Cardinals righthander Carlos Martinez with Chris Hermann on first base after a walk. Martinez again got Buxton, this time swinging, on a slider for the second out in the seventh.

"It's a fine line between trying to overwhelm and analyze every at-bat a young player takes," Twins manager Paul Molitor said when asked if he talked to Buxton after he took the breaking pitch for strike three. "You guys have had a conversation with him. You know the intelligence level that he has. I think he's kind of figuring out things and taking good things and bad things from at-bats regardless of outcomes.

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"We're just going to continue to try to get him to not have fear of being aggressive. It looks like he's really trying to track the ball early in the count and maybe taking some pitches he could get a whack at. He's going to have to battle with two strikes for now. (That's) probably one of the last things to come of the development of major league hitters, (becoming) a good two-strike hitter."

Twins hitting coach Tom Brunansky acknowledged Buxton has plenty of room to grow at the plate and knows that pitchers know all about the hype surrounding him.

"You can tell, before, when the young guys would come up with not a lot of fanfare you'd get some good pitches to hit, some fastballs, and then they'd mix in a couple breaking balls," Brunansky said.

"Well, it didn't take long. Buck's first at-bat (last Sunday in Texas) ... what they start doing is they start throwing hard breaking balls to him and spot a few fastballs to get him to chase. You can't hide prospects like that anymore. So what we're looking for offensively is just the growth, maturity of situational hitting, learning, understanding, picking up pitches."

Molitor and Ryan both balked when asked whether Buxton is here to stay or could find himself headed back to the minors, likely Triple-A Rochester, when Aaron Hicks returns from the disabled list.

"Let's see how he performs," Ryan said. "It's just like anybody you bring up, they have to perform. ... When you bring a guy up you like to have him stay. I hope it's the start of something big. People have to be productive. We just don't give out jobs."

The question soon will become this: Will Buxton's ability in center field, and speed on the bases, be enough to offset the obvious learning curve he will experience at the plate?

"I'm looking at this as a start," not a trial run, Buxton said. "I'm not really trying to come up here to get sent back down. I'm trying to come up here to stay, and try to help us win in any way I can."

Wetmore: Buxton can help in many ways while bat adjusts to new level Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Byron Buxton arrived to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, over the weekend to considerable hype and fanfare. The top prospect arrived to Target Field on Wednesday after three days in the big leagues with the hype train still rolling.

People with the Twins won't commit to him as the team's center fielder in perpetuity. He'll need to produce to earn that title.

And while Buxton is nearly universally regarded as having a bright future with the Twins, many also expect he'll have an adjustment period as he faces MLB pitching for the first time in his life. The most difficult adjustment likely will be with his bat.

"He's gonna run the same here as he did in Double-A and he's going to throw about the same," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said. "He's going to cover the same ground. He's probably going to field fine. Usually the bat's the separator on people that stay or go."

And in this case, 'stay or go' isn't referring to whether or not Buxton will eventually make it; it's more like, is he ready to succeed at this moment?

Given his wealth of talents, it'll be interesting to see all the ways he helps the Twins in his first taste of big league action.

His incredible speed should help him not only while running the bases, but also track down balls hit to the outfield that might evade other center fielders.

While the Twins were on the road, Buxton ran down a ball in left-center field that some outfielders might not have reached. Buxton dropped it, and then crashed into the wall, but the fact that he got there says something about his wheels.

He also streaked across center field Wednesday in his home debut to make a nice catch in left-center field. It was by no means an impossible catch for a regular MLB center fielder. But Buxton -- after appearing to not having a perfect jump on the ball -- got under it with ease and caught it as if the play was routine.

"I've seen him run down a lot of balls. I've seen him get to the track, and balls you don't think he can close on he gets to," manager Paul Molitor said. "He can cover the ground."

The speed is for real, and evidently so is the defense that comes with it.

But...

Keep in mind: he's only 21 and he'll probably struggle to adjust to big-league pitching. He's had a hard time with sharp breaking pitches in the early goings with the Twins. That's not out of the ordinary. And he'll have to adjust to pitchers at this level if he intends to stick.

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"It's quite a difference," Buxton said before the game Wednesday. "Especially off speed, breaking pitches. I'm not used to seeing sharp break as much as you do in Chattanooga. Juts have to get used to it and adjust to how they pitch me here."

Buxton took a called third strike Wednesday on an 0-2 slider from Carlos Martinez. Molitor suggested he doesn't want to harp on individual plate appearances in the early stages of Buxton's career. It would seem, though, that to add value with his bat, he'll have to continue to improve his pitch recognition, tracking and his ability to hit secondary pitches.

The glove is there. Some with the Twins say the glove has been there for two years, ready to play in the Majors. The base running should be there too. (He has already exhibited his blazing speed with a standup triple and also by scoring from first base on an Eddie Rosario double to the right-center field gap; but he also was thrown out with ease by one of the best defensive catchers, St. Louis' Yadier Molina, when he attempted to steal second base.)

The logical next progression is to have the bat catch up. That may take a while.

Is he a lock to retain center fielder duties?

"It's really not how I've gone about it. I imagine that could happen and a lot of people hope that could happen," Molitor said before Wednesday's game. "You're hoping a kid with that kind of skill level can take [the job] and run with it. Like a lot of people that have come up here that have been very talented, it doesn't always go exactly the way you might hope it does."

Regardless of future expectations, the present expectation is simple for the 21-year-old.

"Help us win games," Molitor said.

Milone helps correct course for Twins with 7 strong innings Associated Press | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- A banner May had given way to a horrible June, and Minnesota Twins manager Paul Molitor was desperate for a win.

That meant going to closer Glen Perkins in the eighth inning. The All-Star made it interesting, but stayed perfect.

Perkins pitched four outs to improve to 23 for 23 in save chances and Tommy Milone gave up one run in seven innings to help the Twins squeak out a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.

"He was rested," Molitor said. "And it seemed like a night where we really need a win."

Milone (3-1) gave up five hits and struck out five and Eduardo Nunez had two hits and two RBI to help the reeling Twins, who had lost seven of their previous eight games.

Carlos Martinez (7-3) gave up two runs -- one earned -- on five hits and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings for the Cardinals, who are embroiled in a federal investigation into allegations that members of the team's baseball operations hacked into the Houston Astros' personnel database.

The Cardinals had two runners on with no outs in the ninth, but Perkins struck out Mark Reynolds and Randal Grichuk and got Yadier Molina to ground out to end it.

"Whether it's three outs or four outs, it doesn't matter," Perkins said. "I want to win and we did tonight."

The Cardinals have spent the last two days swimming in deep water after news broke that the FBI was conducting an investigation into the hacking allegations involving a database compiled by former Cardinals executive Jeff Luhnow, now the Astros' GM.

Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt and GM John Mozeliak responded forcefully on Wednesday, saying that they had no knowledge of any such actions and were conducting an internal review of their own to get to determine if there was any truth to the allegations.

Until then, Mozeliak and manager Mike Matheny vowed not to let the headline-grabbing allegations, which have called into question the integrity of one of baseball's model franchises, distract the team from the torrid pace it has set to start this season. The Cardinals entered the game with the best record in the big leagues, having beaten the Twins at home on Tuesday on the day the investigation was revealed by the New York Times.

They jumped on Milone in the second inning, getting an RBI single from Jason Heyward for a 1-0 lead.

But Reynolds was charged with an error for being unable to scoop a low pickoff attempt from Martinez at first base, which allowed Trevor Plouffe to score from third and put Eddie Rosario in position to score on a sacrifice fly from Nunez to give the Twins a 2-1 lead in the fourth.

"You can't give free bases," Matheny said. "If you don't pay any attention to the guy at first base then you've got no chance at a double play.

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He's got to. He's a great athlete. He can do that all day long, just made a bad throw."

A combination of the Cardinals' enthusiastic fan base and the home debut of highly touted Twins prospect Byron Buxton led to an announced crowd of 34,381, the third-largest of the season at Target Field.

Buxton went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, but did make a nice running catch at the warning track in the third inning.

Struggling star Joe Mauer was moved from third in the order to second. He had a double in the first inning, but struck out twice, including with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Twins: GM Terry Ryan said RHP Ricky Nolasco, on the disabled list with an ankle injury, was being fitted for orthotics. The club was hopeful that the orthotics would help relieve what has been a recurring for issue for him.

UP NEXT

The Twins send RHP Mike Pelfrey (5-3, 3.18) to the mound to finish the four-game split series against LHP Jaime Garcia (2-3, 2.06). Pelfrey had been a pleasant surprise for the Twins through 11 starts, but was tagged for eight runs on 11 hits in a loss to the Rangers his last time out. Garcia missed the first 40 games while recovering from thoracic outlet surgery. He has not walked a batter in his last four starts.

ROSTER MOVES

The Twins signed first-round draft pick Tyler Jay, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Illinois. Jay was the sixth overall pick and the Twins will start him at Class-A Fort Myers in a relief role. GM Terry Ryan said Jay could eventually be converted to a starter, but not this season.

Minnesota also released RHP Tim Stauffer after designating him for assignment on June 10.

Twins release Stauffer, GM Ryan suspects reliever will have a market Derek Wetmore | 1500espn.com | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins cut ties with Tim Stauffer on Wednesday, releasing the right-handed reliever a week after they had designated him for assignment.

That means Stauffer will become a free agent, and the Twins essentially cut bait on what turned out to be a bad signing for the club. They signed the former Padres reliever to a one-year, $2.2 million contract this winter, and he struggled in spring training and in the regular season.

Stauffer concluded his Twins career with a 6.60 ERA and 6:7 strikeouts-to-walk ratio in 15 innings. He gave up 24 hits, so he average more than two walks and hits per inning pitched.

Once the Twins designated him for assignment, they had 10 days to trade him, release him or send him through waivers. They opted to cut him and he'll now hit the free-agent market.

"I suspect somebody's going to end up picking him up," Twins GM Terry Ryan said.

"I had high hopes that he was going to be a pretty good fit and unfortunately it didn't work out for either of us. He's disappointed and I'm disappointed. It just didn't work here for whatever reason. He was a good guy on this team, it's not like he didn't fit here - he did. But it just didn't work out," Ryan said.

In nine years for the Padres in Petco Park, Stauffer posted a 3.87 ERA and a 435:193 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 575 innings.

Comparing Buxton with previous notable young Twins Derek Heller| Fox Sports North | June 17, 2015

Yes, the Byron Buxton era is here.

But how long will Minnesota Twins fans have to wait to see the true Buxton?

After all, Buxton is only 21 and, as Tyler Mason mentioned, he shouldn't be judged on how he performs in the early going, no matter if he struggles or rakes.

Thus far, it has been more struggles. In three games, Buxton is 2 for 10 with three strikeouts and a caught stealing, although he also tripled and

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raced around the bases to score from first on a double.

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to see how some former Twins position players -- including a number of past first-round picks -- fared in their early going.

I've tried to include many first-round position players all the way up to Joe Mauer, as well as sprinkle in a few others. The MLB Draft began in 1965 and the Twins' first pick was Eddie Leon, who didn't sign with Minnesota. The next year Minnesota selected Bob Jones, who never played in the majors.

Also, while I tried to include as many players as possible, two not listed are Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva. The latter saw very limited time as a 23- and 24-year-old (19 plate appearances over two seasons) before becoming a full-time player in 1964. Meanwhile, Killebrew was a bonus baby for the Washington Senators, meaning he was on the roster -- and force-fed some at-bats -- when he was 18 and 19 (and he also saw partial time when he was 20, 21 and 22).

Anyway, here's the list:

(Note: For the uninitiated, the slash line is batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage.)

ROD CAREW (signed as amateur free agent in 1964, the year before MLB's initial draft) First game (age 21): April 11, 1967 at Baltimore, 2 for 4 with a strikeout. First month: 15 games in April, batted .250/.304/.346 with a triple, a home run, four walks and seven strikeouts in 57 plate appearances. Also 0-for-2 on stolen-base attempts. First season: 137 games, 8 HR, 5 SB, 9 CS, .292/.341/.409. Notable: Went to All-Star Game, named Rookie of the Year. Career: 3,053 hits, 92 HR, 353 SB, .328/.393/.429. Notable: Made 18 All-Star Games, including all 12 seasons he played with the Twins; elected to Hall of Fame.

STEVE BRYE (first-round pick, No. 17 overall in 1967) First game (age 21): Sept. 3, 1970 at Milwaukee, 0 for 1 with a walk and strikeout. First month: 9 games in September, batted .182/.308/.273 with a double, two walks and four strikeouts. First season: 100 games, 0 HR, .241/.292/.300 in 272 plate appearances in 1973. Notable: Brye played in 28 games (115 PA) in 1971, batting .224/.270/.318 with 3 HR. Career: 697 games (537 in seven years with the Twins), .258/.309/.365 and 30 HR. Notable: Appeared in more than 100 games just once (135 in 1974), also the only time he had more than 320 plate appearances.

RICK SOFIELD (first-round pick, No. 13 overall in 1975) First game (age 22): April 6, 1979 at Oakland, 0 for 2. Pinch-hit for in the seventh inning. First month: 12 games in April, .281/.378/.313 in 37 plate appearances, 2 for 4 in stolen-base attempts, five walks and 10 strikeouts. First season: 35 games, 0 HR, .301/.381/.385 in 107 PA. Career: 207 games, 9 HR, 9 SB, 10 CS, .243/.293/.342.

KENT HRBEK (17th-round pick in 1978) First game (age 21): Aug. 24, 1981 at New York Yankees, 2 for 5, HR, run, 2 RBI, K. First month: 24 games in August and September, 1 HR, .239/.301/.358 with five walks and nine strikeouts in 73 plate appearances. First season: 140 games, 23 HR, .301/.363/.485 in 1982. Notable: Made All-Star Game (his only appearance), finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. Career: 1,747 games all with Minnesota, 293 HR, .282/.367/.481.

KIRBY PUCKETT (first-round pick, No. 3 overall in 1982 January draft) First game (age 24): May 8, 1984, 4 for 5 with a run and stolen base. First month: 16 games in May, .370/.378/.384, 4 for 6 in stolen-base attempts with one walk and 12 strikeouts in 74 plate appearances. First season: 128 games, 0 HR, 14 of 21 in stolen-base attempts, .296/.320/.336. Notable: Third in Rookie of the Year voting. Career: 1,783 games, 207 HR, 134 SB, .318/.360/.477. Notable: 10 All-Star Games, six Gold Gloves, elected to Hall of Fame.

CHUCK KNOBLAUCH (first-round pick, No. 25 overall in 1989) First game (age 22): April 9, 1991 at Oakland, 0 for 3 with a walk. First month: 20 games in April, .333/.393/.427, 2 for 3 in stolen-base attempts with eight walks and eight strikeouts in 84 plate appearances. First season: 151 games, 1 HR, 25 SB, 5 CS, .281/.351/.350. Notable: Won Rookie of the Year. Career: 12 seasons, 407 SB, .289/.378/.406. Notable: Made four All-Star Games, all when he played for the Twins.

TORII HUNTER (first-round pick, No. 20 overall in 1993) First game (age 23): April 29, 1998 vs. Tampa Bay, 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout (note: Hunter appeared in one game in 1997 but just as a defensive replacement and never batted). First month: 6 games in April-May 1998, .235/.316/.294 with two walks and six strikeouts.

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First season: 135 games in 1999, nine HR, 10 SB, 6 CS, .255/.309/.380 in 422 plate appearances. Career: Entering Wednesday's game, 2,289 games, 339 HR, 194 SB, .279/.334/.464. Notable: Five All-Star Games (two with Twins) and nine Gold Gloves (seven with Twins).

TODD WALKER (first-round pick, No. 8 overall in 1994) First game (age 23): Aug. 30, 1996, 1 for 5 with a run. First month: 25 games in August and September, .256/.281/.329 with four walks and 13 strikeouts in 89 plate appearances. First season: 52 games in 1997, .237/.288/.353 in 171 plate appearances. Career: 1,288 games, 107 HR, .289/.348/.435.

MICHAEL CUDDYER (first-round pick, No. 9 overall in 1997) First game (age 22): Sept. 23, 2001, 1 for 2 with a double, walk and strikeout. First month: 8 games in September and October, .222/.300/.333 with two walks and six strikeouts in 20 plate appearances. First season: 41 games in 2002, .259/.311/.429 with four home runs, eight walks and 30 strikeouts in 123 PA. Career: Entering Wednesday: 1,479 games, 179 HR, .278/.345/.463. Notable: Two All-Star Games (one with the Twins).

JUSTIN MORNEAU (third-round pick in 1999) First game (age 22): June 10, 2003 vs. Colorado, 2 for 4 with a strikeout. First month: 18 games in June, .278/.316/.426 with two home runs, three walks and 13 strikeouts in 57 plate appearances. First season: 74 games in 2004, .271/.340/.536 with 19 home runs, 28 walks and 54 strikeouts in 312 PA. Career: 1,465 games, 241 HR, .281/.348/.483 (active but on disabled list). Notable: MVP in 2006, four All-Star Games (all with Twins).

JOE MAUER (first-round pick, No. 1 overall in 2001) First game (age 20): April 5, 2004 vs. Cleveland, 2 for 3 with two runs, two walks and a strikeout. First month: 24 games in April (2 games) and June, .282/.358/.563 with five HR, eight walks and 11 strikeouts in 81 plate appearances. First season: 131 games in 2005, .294/.372/.411 with nine home runs, 13 of 14 in stolen-base attempts, 61 walks and 64 strikeouts in 554 plate appearances. Career: Entering Wednesday: 1,361 games, 111 HR, .316/.397/.454. Notable: MVP in 2009, six All-Star Games, three Gold Gloves.

Buxton ready to be in the spotlight at Target Field Tyler Mason | Fox Sports North | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- The mania surrounding Minnesota top prospect Byron Buxton had a few days to dissipate a bit before the 21-year-old center fielder made his debut Wednesday at Target Field.

Still, Buxton couldn't help but escape the cameras and the throng of media before his first start in front of the hometown Twins fans. The increased attention and higher volume of eyeballs following his every move has been just one of many adjustments Buxton has had to make in his first few days in the majors since his call-up from Double-A Chattanooga, but he's adapted well.

Gone are the short answers comprised of just a few words that Buxton uttered back in June of 2012 shortly after the Twins took him No. 2 overall. He's now more confident in the spotlight -- which is a good thing since he'll be in it plenty.

"I got a good bit of it in Chattanooga, but it's a little bit different, a lot more stuff you've got to do," Buxton said before Wednesday's game against St. Louis. "I'm just trying to get used to it and relaxed to it."

Buxton's major-league career is just three games old, and he has only two hits to show for it so far. His first career hit -- fittingly, a triple -- came Monday in St. Louis. He also had an infield single in Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium but was thrown out trying to steal second base.

Monday's game in St. Louis was played in front of a paid crowd of 43,174 fans, easily the biggest audience Buxton has ever taken the field in front of. He said some of the crowds in Chattanooga reached 5,000-6,000, but nothing like what he experienced Monday -- or what he'll encounter Wednesday, as the Twins are anticipating a sellout of Target Field.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be loud," Buxton said. "I'm just going to try to tune it out as much as I can and focus on getting in there and trying to get on base for my teammates to drive me in."

It's still uncertain whether Buxton will stay in the majors for the long haul this season or if he may need more seasoning in the minors at some point. Of course, that's largely up to Buxton and how he produces at this level. If he hits, he'll likely stick. If he struggles, it could be back to Chattanooga or Triple-A Rochester.

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Buxton was asked Wednesday if he views this as the start of his big-league career or more of a trial run for what lies ahead. He's hoping his time in Minnesota lasts a while.

"I look at this as a start," Buxton said. "I'm not really trying to come up here to get sent back down. I'm trying to come up here to stay and try to help us win. Any way I can help us produce runs and get wins, that's what I'm going to do."

Twins manager Paul Molitor wasn't quite as adamant that Buxton is here to stay. Though the highly touted prospect tore it up in Double-A last year, the big leagues are a different animal.

"I imagine that could happen, and a lot of people hope that's going to happen," Molitor said. "You're hoping a kid with that kind of skill level can take it and run with it, but like a lot of people that have come up here that are talented, it doesn't always go exactly the way you might hope it does. I'm not going to get too far ahead of that because I'm just watching the kid day-to-day and trying to find ways to win games."

Wednesday marked the first time Buxton had taken the field in Minneapolis since he was introduced after the 2012 draft. He took some extra work early in center field with coach Butch Davis to learn how balls bounce off the walls.

During an early batting practice session, Buxton absorbed as much information as he could from 39-year-old outfielder Torii Hunter. The duo -- one the former everyday Twins center fielder, the other the future -- formed a bond in spring training as Hunter served as Buxton's mentor. Hunter's voice lit up Wednesday when talking about the young Buxton.

"I don't know if you saw the triple, but he almost tripped twice and he still was faster than anybody in the major leagues," Hunter said. "He's an exciting player, and I'm happy to have him here. If you're not excited to have him here, I think you don't have a soul."

During his press conference, Buxton admitted he had yet to pick a walk-up song for his home debut, but he eventually chose "Flashlight" by Parliament. As for his jersey number of 25, Buxton said it was assigned to him by the Twins after his call-up. He wore No. 7 throughout the minor leagues, but Joe Mauer has had that number locked up for more than a decade.

At Target Field, Buxton's No. 25 jerseys and T-shirts were already on sale for fans who will likely be snatching it up for years to come.

Said Buxton: "I'm going to stick with that number."

Twins sign first-round draft pick Jay Tyler Mason | Fox Sports North | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tyler Jay is no stranger to Target Field. He's been here before as the closer for the University of Illinois baseball team.

Wednesday, however, marked Jay's first time at Target Field as a professional baseball player. The Minnesota Twins introduced Jay, their first-round pick, at a press conference before Wednesday's game against St. Louis. The left-handed Jay reportedly signed for the slot value of $3.89 million assigned to the No. 6 overall pick.

When the Twins drafted Jay earlier this month, it came less than an hour after his college career ended following Illinois' loss to Vanderbilt. Now that the dust has settled, Jay has had time to soak in what has been a hectic nine days.

"It's been crazy," Jay said. "Especially just the emotions. You still kind of think, 'Man, I would like to be playing in the College World Series,' but at the same time it's nice to end your career and 30 minutes later you get to start your other one. It's just really nice that I've been able to have my support from my family and teammates and coaches, whether it's high school or college. It's been really great."

Jay was a reliever at Illinois, but there's a chance the Twins could stretch him out to be a starter. However, Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan said Wednesday that Jay will be sent out this summer as a reliever. The left-hander will eventually join the bullpen at High-A Fort Myers.

Some experts pegged Jay as a guy with a chance to be one of the first players from this year's draft to debut in the majors. Jay said Wednesday, though, that he's not thinking that far ahead.

"Hopefully I just throw well wherever I'm going and I prove my ability," Jay said. "However long it takes, whatever I need to do to help the team out is what I want to do."

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Closer Perkins stays perfect, helps Twins halt Twins’ skid Tyler Mason | Fox Sports North | June 17, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS -- Glen Perkins doesn't believe in jinxes.

Shortly after the Twins closer notched his 23rd save in his 23rd attempt this season to preserve Minnesota's 3-1 win, a reporter suggested that simply asking about the run Perkins is on might jinx the two-time All-Star. Perkins wasn't concerned.

"I'm not worried about that," he said. "I don't believe in that. I'll probably blow a save tomorrow."

Until Perkins finally does have a hiccup, he remains perfect in save opportunities. His 23rd save leads the majors and has Perkins on a possible pace to earn a spot in his third straight All-Star Game.

The save Perkins earned Wednesday, though, took an extra third of an inning -- and got dicey along the way.

It's not the first time Twins manager Paul Molitor has used Perkins for the final out of the eighth inning. In fact, this was his third four-out save of the season and the sixth total of his career. He didn't do it a ton before this season, but Molitor has no fear in turning to Perkins an out early, especially if the matchup, as it was Wednesday, was against a left-hander.

Molitor called for Perkins to face St. Louis' Kolten Wong with two outs in the eighth and a runner on second. Perkins got the left-handed Wong to fly out to left to end the inning, and the Twins scored a run in the bottom of the frame to give their closer a two-run cushion.

The top of the ninth was a bit of an adventure for Perkins. He gave up a leadoff single to Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter and followed that up by allowing a hit to Jhonny Peralta. With two on and nobody out, Perkins had some work to do to wriggle out of the jam.

That's where his slider came in. Perkins used an 82 mph slider to get Mark Reynolds to strike out swinging for the first out. One batter later, Randal Grichuk also swung and missed an 82 mph slider for strike three.

So far, Perkins had done his part to limit the self-inflicted damage of the two previous singles. When Perkins got Yadier Molina to tap a slow roller back to the pitcher's mound for the final out, he had successfully escaped the ninth. Save No. 23 was in the books and, more importantly, the Twins won 3-1 for just their second win in their last nine games.

It might not have been the most orthodox save of Perkins' career, but it got the job done.

"Hell, we won," Perkins said of his four-out save. "When I talked to (Molitor) in December and he asked me how I felt about doing it, I said I'm all for it. I want to win. I don't want to be in that bullpen if something happens and I don't get to pitch."

It's been a while since Perkins had a ton of save opportunities. After saving 13 games in the Twins' 20-win month of May, Perkins had just three saves midway through June. Of course, it hasn't helped that Minnesota entered Wednesday's two-game series just 4-11 so far this month.

The bright side for Perkins is that he's stayed fresh, which made the decision to get four outs in Wednesday's ninth inning even easier.

"You're looking at potential scenarios and how the inning might unfold. I think Glen's only been out there once in about the last 10 days," Molitor said. "So he was rested. It seemed like a night where we could really use a win, and if I got an opportunity with two outs there in the eighth and a left-handed matchup, it seemed like the right time."

After Wednesday, Perkins is now one of two closers in baseball who has yet to blow a save, along with Yankees closer Andrew Miller. After Minnesota has hit a rut in the last two weeks, the Twins and Perkins hope he'll have more chances to add to his league-leading saves total in the not-too-distant future.

"I think I threw three times in the last two weeks after throwing I feel like every game in May," Perkins said. "So I was ready to go. I was ready from the start of the eighth. I knew I would get an opportunity."

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Southern notes: Kepler breaks tradition Guy Curtright | MiLB.com | June 16, 2015

Max Kepler quickly excelled in every sport he tried growing up in Berlin, even receiving a scholarship to the Steffi Graf Tennis Foundation at age 7.

Soccer, though, is the top sport in Germany, and that was the direction Kepler appeared to be headed.

"That's the dream of many in Germany," he said.

Kepler, however, decided to take the road less traveled.

"My father pushed toward soccer," he said. "My mother wanted me to try baseball."

The Minnesota Twins are glad she did.

Signed at 16 and brought to the United States, Kepler has made steady progress toward becoming the first German born and raised player to make the Major Leagues.

Now 22, the left-handed outfielder/first baseman is ranked as the Twins' No. 15 prospect and was hitting .304 with 24 extra-base hits through his first 47 games in Double-A with Chattanooga.

"He's got a tremendous upside," Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz said.

Kepler also has a tremendously interesting backstory.

His mother is from Texas and his father defected from Poland to Germany. Professional ballet dancers, they met while performing with the same company in Berlin. Kepler, obviously, comes by some of his athletic ability naturally. It was also passed on to his younger sister, formerly a top German golfer.

Neither was pushed to the ballet, for obvious reasons in the son's case.

"I was six-feet as an early teen," he said. "That's too tall for the ballet."

Kepler, now 6-feet-4, was introduced to baseball at age 6 while attending the John F. Kennedy American School in Berlin and played Little League before becoming part of Germany's national team at 14.

Soccer was his No. 1 team sport, though, and at first he didn't know what to think when he was first approached by the Twins. In fact, he didn't even really know what a scout was. Kepler, though, decided to put soccer and Germany behind him, heading to the country of his mother's birth, which he hardly knew.

"I don't think I realized how many had the dream of baseball in the United States and that I would just be one of so many," he said.

Kepler, who received a bonus of $800,000, played three seasons of Rookie ball, the first two while still of high school age. He hit .297 with 10 homers and 49 RBIs over 59 games in 2012, and the Twins knew they had something.

"Those first few years, I looked back at my old life in Germany and questioned my choice," he said. "Then things started going better for me and I didn't any more. I made the best decision."

An elbow injury limited Kepler in 2013, but he had a solid season last year in the Class A Advanced Florida State League before heading to the Arizona Fall League.

He didn't join Chattanooga until the second week of this season after missing time in Spring Training, but he has since been solid at the plate for the talent-laden North Division leaders of the Southern League. Kepler was especially productive in May, batting .359 with 13 doubles and 14 RBIs over 27 games.

"He's come a long way since he was signed at 16," said Mientkiewicz, also his manager last year at Fort Myers.

Kepler, who runs well and has a good arm, has impressive discipline at the plate. He has 21 walks to 26 strikeouts, with 11 of those walks coming in a recent nine-game stretch. He also has eight stolen bases to go with his 17 doubles, four triples and three homers. His on-base percentage is .372 and his slugging percentage .502.

Kepler's parents and sister come to the U.S. each summer to see him play, and he gets back to Germany for a month at Christmas.

"It's good to go back home, but this is where I belong now," he said. "I still have a lot to learn. I want to soak in everything I'm told and continue to get better so I can make the Major Leagues. That became my dream when I signed with the Twins."

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Going and coming: Unlike center fielder Byron Buxton, shortstop Jorge Polanco's promotion from Chattanooga to Minnesota was never meant to be a long one. The Twins sent Polanco back to the Lookouts the day after calling him up June 10, then promoted Buxton, ranked No. 1 among MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects, on June 15. Buxton, 21, led the Southern League with 44 runs scored and 12 triples while batting .283 and stealing 20 bases in 59 games. Polanco, 21, was 1-for-3 with a walk in his one game for the Twins. Minnesota's No. 7 prospect had a .316 average through 56 games with the Lookouts.

When will the Twins call up Miguel Sano to join Byron Buxton? Aaron Gleeman | Minnesota Post | June 17, 2015 Within minutes of the Twins calling up No. 1 prospect Byron Buxton the ever-present “when will he be in Minnesota?” questions shifted to No. 2 prospect Miguel Sano, who’s spent all season in Chattanooga batting behind Buxton in the Double-A lineup. Sano is six months older than Buxton and has more upper-minors experience, playing 67 games at Double-A in 2013 and 56 games at Double-A this year, but in between he missed all of 2014 following Tommy John elbow surgery.

Buxton’s call-up filled an obvious need, because through their first 61 games the Twins gave a dozen or more starts to three different center fielders and the trio of Jordan Schafer, Shane Robinson, and Aaron Hicks combined for a sub-.600 OPS to rank among the least-productive positions in baseball. Buxton was also thriving at Double-A, hitting .310/.379/.540 with 18 steals in his last 46 games. Toss in Hicks’ recent forearm injury and all the dots were connected.

Sano, on the other hand, plays a position at which the Twins are pretty well set. Trevor Plouffe has slumped of late, but he’s hitting .248/.315/.442 to basically match his 2014 numbers while rating as an above-average defender at third base for the second straight year. Plouffe has been one of the Twins’ best all-around players, both this season and last season, and the Twins have the fourth-highest OPS in the league at third base.

Plouffe has emerged as an above-average starting third baseman at age 29 and with two more seasons of team control remaining before free agency. Beyond that, Plouffe’s performance — low batting average, mediocre on-base percentage, good power — is exactly the type of performance the Twins would be hoping to get from Sano as a 22-year-old rookie. Calling up Buxton to replace Hicks/Schafer/Robinson was a clear upgrade. Calling up Sano to replace Plouffe is not.

However, that doesn’t mean calling up Sano to take over at another position wouldn’t make sense. Defense has never been his strong point anyway and many people were skeptical about his ability to remain at third base long term even before missing an entire season following elbow surgery. His range will always be limited at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, surgery may have lessened his arm strength, and Sano has committed 25 errors in 118 games as a Double-A third baseman.

He’s also hit .302/.384/.561 in 38 games since May 1 following a rough April, basically picking up where he left off before missing all of last season. If the Twins still believe Sano can stick at third base they may be hesitant to halt his development there, but his bat has always been what makes Sano a top prospect and it looks just about ready now. It would be asking a lot for him to learn a new position on the fly and in the majors, but they could simply ask him to do nothing but hit.

Twins designated hitters rank 13th among AL teams in OPS, combining for a .250 batting average with three homers and a .339 slugging percentage in 60 games. Kennys Vargas has gotten 25 of those 60 starts, with another 18 going to Torii Hunter and Joe Mauer when they take days off from fielding. And the Twins’ remaining 17 starts at DH have gone to light-hitting middle infielders Eduardo Escobar, Eduardo Nunez, and Danny Santana.

Vargas is capable of much more than he’s given the Twins this season and if Oswaldo Arcia gets on track at Triple-A he’s another quality DH option. But if the Twins again run out of patience with Vargas and continue to be less than enthused with Arcia, calling up Sano to take over at DH — with some action at third base and first base mixed in — would make only slightly less sense than calling up Buxton to take over in center field. It’s an obvious hole and he’s ready to fill it.