NASHVILLE — Byron Buxton made his way to the Twin Cities last week for an important check-up, seven weeks out from a surgical procedure to excise the plica in his troublesome right knee. Dr. Christopher Camp was there, as was Twins head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta and major-league strength and conditioning coach Aaron Rhodes.

Their thoughts?

“They felt like he was moving around about as well as they had seen him move around in a long time, which was great,” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “He was doing some things that he couldn’t really do last year at different times in terms of how he was moving.”

Indeed, the news on the star center fielder — and yes, the Twins are expecting Buxton to play his natural position again come next season — sounded about as positive as it could be at this time of year.

Camp, Falvey said, told Buxton that he was fully cleared from the surgery — his second in as many years on the right knee — and was ready to move on to the next step in his rehab. They expect him to ramp up baseball activities in the latter half of this week and into next week, which Falvey said would put him “on a pretty normal schedule from an offseason standpoint in terms of what he’s doing baseball activity-wise.”

The reports from Buxton have the Twins hopeful that he will return to center field, where he did not play a single major-league game last season because of his knee. Buxton appeared in one rehab game in the outfield but otherwise spent his season strictly as a designated hitter.

“We have one of the best center fielders out there in Byron Buxton. He’s doing very well right now,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “… We’re going to go into spring training planning on, if everything continues to go well, having him out there in center field and very hopeful that the procedure he had puts him in the spot he needs to be in.”

But while there’s optimism that Buxton can return to center field next season, it’s hard for the Twins to predict just how much of a workload he may be able to handle out there — and that’s something they need to factor into their offseason plans as they assess the position.

Michael A. Taylor, who is now a free agent, wound up spending a bulk of the time in center field last season after the Twins acquired him thinking he would be Buxton’s back-up. The Twins could opt to do something similar, bringing in someone externally on a cheaper deal to help fill the spot if Buxton is unable to see much time out there.

Utilityman Willi Castro saw some time there and could next year, too, and the Twins could use prospect Austin Martin there, as well, if they don’t bring in someone else to supplement their center field mix.

“If it’s mix and match — it could ultimately be that, it’s how we approach any cycle in center field with Byron still on the roster because if everything goes well with him, he’s taking the majority of the reps out there even if it’s with some other complementary parts,” Falvey said.

Slow moving trade and free-agent markets could help give the Twins a bit more time to assess the situation, Falvey said, something which they see as a benefit. But for now, after two seasons worth of knee troubles, Buxton has shown them reasons to be optimistic.

“Any guy coming back from something, once we get down to spring training and that first week of workouts, that first game or two or three that they play, it’s going to tell you how the player is doing,” Baldelli said. “… He’s doing fine right now, which we’re pleased about, and we’re not going to know anything for certain ever until we get to Opening Day. And that’s ultimately when the decisions are going to come to light.”

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