Byron Buxton returns to top of Twins lineup and to his post in center field

SEATTLE — Byron Buxton has endured plenty of injuries during his career, but brain injuries are different. So while he hated spending two weeks on the concussion list, he’s grateful that baseball has such a thing, with strict benchmarks for returning to action.

“I’m not going to be a veggie when I leave this game,” Buxton said Friday. “I’ve got to make sure I do what I’ve got to do to protect myself.”

After Buxton went through a simulated game in Tampa with no recurring symptoms, doctors cleared the Twins’ center fielder Wednesday, and he was back atop the lineup and in center field as the Twins opened a weekend series at T-Mobile Park. Buxton went 2-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs in the Twins’ 12-6 victory in 10 innings.

“It’s great for us. Both sides of the ball, he does so many wonderful things for us,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “He’s been out for two weeks, so we’re going to let him get his feet back under him and just get him some at-bats.”

Buxton’s symptoms weren’t as wide-ranging as those of Carlos Correa, who collided with him as Buxton caught a shallow fly ball in Baltimore. Mostly, Buxton said, he experienced migraine headaches similar to those that still strike him on occasion. That made it harder to know whether his pain was caused by the collision, and it’s why Buxton didn’t immediately leave the game or go on the concussion list that day, as Correa did.

“It felt more like a headache, so I kind of stood out there and didn’t move for two outs. It felt like 20 minutes, so I knew then it’s probably a little bit more serious than a headache,” Buxton said. “I tried to work out Saturday, [but it became clear] that was definitely not a headache. It just took a couple extra days for me to find that out.”

He and Correa have discussed the play and what they could have done differently. “Neither one of us knew who was going to catch the ball until the last second. I hate it happened, but it’s just one of the things that we couldn’t avoid,” Buxton said. It was hit so far from either one of them, “me personally, I don’t know how many guys are going to get to that ball at the same time.”

Yet somehow Buxton did, and even held on to the ball despite a collision that knocked him out for two weeks. How did he do it?

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Matt Wallner, who is 8-for-25 with five home runs in six rehab games with Class AAA St. Paul, was activated Saturday. Wallner’s strained left hamstring was responding as well as his bat was, said Twins head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta.

“He is having no issues with his hamstring. Doing great,” Paparesta said. “He was on base quite a bit and had to run [with no problems]. He’s done well in the outfield as well.”

Wallner was injured while running the bases April 15.

Meanwhile, reliever Danny Coulombe will throw a bullpen session “in the next few days,” Paparesta said of the lefthander, who has missed two weeks with a forearm strain. “He’s a veteran guy that knows his arm pretty well. We’re kind of going off his feel right now, but everything is trending in the right direction.”

Outfielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. was sent back to St. Paul.

Ty France spent five seasons with the Mariners, a stint that ended last summer, the worst season of his career, with an abrupt deadline-day trade to Cincinnati. So he’s been looking forward to this weekend’s series for a while.

“Definitely excited to be back. Excited to be in front of these fans again,” the 30-year-old first baseman said. “The fan base here is great. Might get a few more boos this time, but looking forward to it.”

Mostly, he’s happy to be enjoying playing baseball again, he said.

“This game is hard. Obviously, how things ended here — it kind of felt like it was ripped away,” said France, who went 2-for-5 Friday. “Didn’t really get the closure and the ending that I wanted. But coming to Minnesota, it’s a great clubhouse, great group of guys. I’m definitely enjoying the game again, so it’s been a great ride.”

Armando Alvarez drove in five runs, lifting the St. Paul Saints to a 9-8 win over the Storm Chasers at Werner Park in Omaha.