When he woke up on Wednesday, Byron Buxton’s wife, Lindsey, let him know that he was about to hit a major personal milestone.

When he took the field against the Marlins, it marked just the second time in Buxton’s major league career that he’s played in 100 games in a season. Buxton has often been slowed by injuries throughout his career, and while he’s dealt with some this year, as well, he’s also been on the field more than he has in recent years.

“I made it a goal of mine at the beginning of the season, just something small to hit triple digits,” Buxton said. “It’s exciting.”

The milestone, he said, is not just one for himself, but one for his family, as well. It’s also an accomplishment for the Twins’ training staff, as they worked in concert with the 30-year-old to keep him healthy. This season will represent the most games he’s played since playing 140 in 2017.

The center fielder had surgery on his right knee after both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Last year, he played zero games in center field as the Twins tried to manage the sore knee. This season, the Twins mixed in some designated hitter days for him with some off days, but by and large, he’s been out there in center field most days.

“The schedule that he had worked for him this year. He would play two or three or four and then we would have to give him a day and we’d work on him and get him ready to go and then we’d send him back out there for the rest of the week,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think it worked well. I’ve been very pleased with the way he’s handled it, the way he’s worked and the way our training staff has been able to help him.”

Buxton landed on the injured list in May when his knee flared up. A second injured list stint, this one for his hip, kept him out for a month. One of the toughest things for him when he was on the injured list, he said, was wondering if he was going to be able to get back in time to reach 100 games.

It was clear Buxton wasn’t at 100% when he returned, but as he so often has, he’s pushed through it to be available to try to help his team.

“He’s worked very hard. He is a tough dude and he has put a lot into taking the field as much as he possibly can this year,” Baldelli said. “He’s not a player that needs to be pushed to get out there on the field. More times than not you have to pull him back off the field from playing flat-out injured sometimes. He does his part with the work he puts in and his desire to play every single day.”

Twins shake up roster

Justin Topa’s regular season is beginning and Matt Wallner’s is ending.

The Twins activated Topa, a right-handed reliever who has been on the injured list all season, on Wednesday and placed Wallner, one of their best hitters of late, on the injured list with a left oblique strain suffered in Tuesday’s game.

“I just felt like it was going to get worse if I kept going and they said the same thing,” Wallner said.

For Topa, it’s been a long time coming after a knee injury first landed him on the injured list and then he dealt with an elbow issue as he built his way back. The Twins acquired him as part of the Jorge Polanco deal with the Seattle Mariners last offseason, hoping he could fill an important role within the bullpen.

“Just salvaging anything is going to be a win this year for me,” Topa said. “Obviously, injuries and feeling good the second go-around with the knee, and then arm stuff popped up. And with my history, it’s like, ‘Let’s make sure this isn’t anything serious serious.’ But yeah, just being able to get back, whether it’s for a few games or whatever it is here down the stretch, it’s definitely awesome.”

The Twins also recalled utilityman Austin Martin and reliever Jorge Alcala from Triple-A and optioned reliever Brent Headrick and designated Cole Irvin, whom they just picked up last week off waivers, for assignment.

Briefly

The Twins will send David Festa to the mound for the series finale against the Miami Marlins against Valente Bellozo.

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