SARASOTA, Fla. — Byron Buxton is in center field today against the Orioles, and he's got a lot of ground to cover. No, the outfield at Ed Smith Stadium isn't unusually large — but Buxton's fellow outfielders are.
Miguel Sano is in right field, as usual, but the left fielder is getting his first start of the spring out there. Oswaldo Arcia, who made an impressive running catch in right field yesterday in Port Charlotte, moves over to left field today, meaning Buxton will be responsible for anything hit to left-center or right-center, too.
But don't worry, manager Paul Molitor said, it's not a preview of a potential regular season lineup. It's just a matter of at-bats.
"I'm not overly looking at how people play next to each other. I'm just trying, as best I can, to balance the playing time," Molitor said. "Byron playing with [Sano], it's good for him to be out there with Miguel. Oswaldo is trying to re-establish himself a little bit as a viable option, so I'm trying to keep him out there as best I can."
Sometimes that creates odd combinations. If Arcia makes the team, his role would more likely be filling in for Byung Ho Park as designated hitter against tough right-handers, or perhaps spelling Sano in the outfield, which is what Molitor meant about re-establishing himself.
"He's had trouble a little bit with concentration out there when he was younger, but he takes it a little more seriously," Molitor said. "He understands it's not just about the bat. He understands he has to defend."
And today, Buxton has to, too, between a couple of super-sized outfielders. "As long as he doesn't run into them," Molitor joked.
Phil Hughes and Trevor May are scheduled to pitch two or three innings apiece today, the first starting combination to make two appearances. And Trevor Plouffe made the hourlong bus ride today, probably sparing himself an even longer trip to Dunedin tomorrow.
Here are the lineups for today's noon CT start against the Orioles (no TV, but it's on Go96.3 radio):
TWINS
Buxton CF
Santana SS
Sano RF
Vargas 1B
Plouffe 3B
Arcia LF
Hicks C
Sweeney DH
Beresford 2B
Hughes RHP
ORIOLES
Machado 3B
Jones CF
Davis DH
Trumbo 1B
Wieters C
Hardy SS
Kim LF
Schoop 2B
Urrutia RF
Jimenez RHP