What It Means:

Baldelli added that Buxton is "doing great physically" to open the year up, while Buxton himself excited proclaimed to media members that he would steal 30 bases this season (one more than his current career high of 29). The veteran is expected to play in centerfield this season after DH'ing throughout the 2023 season and will hopefully enjoy an injury-free season.

Buxton has been limited to under 100 games in all but his 2017 season, but appears to be physically ready to practice to kick things off in Spring Training this year. The veteran's .731 OPS was his lowest mark since 2018 as he dealt with multiple nagging issues, but he has since been reportedly recovering well from offseason knee surgery.