ST. PETERSBURG -- Monday marked a huge day in the outfield in Triple-A St. Paul, with implications not only for the remainder of this season, but for the Twins¡¯ future.

Not only did Byron Buxton start his long-awaited rehab assignment to put him on the fast track to rejoining the Twins for the stretch run of the regular season, but the organization also promoted Emmanuel Rodriguez, the No. 21 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, to Triple-A for the first time as part of his return from injury.

The double dose of excitement in St. Paul likely won¡¯t last long, as Buxton¡¯s rehab assignment isn¡¯t expected to be an extended one.

Buxton played seven innings of center field on Monday, going 1-for-3 with a single and a walk. The plan is for him to rest on Tuesday and get back into the lineup on Wednesday, which could seemingly put him in line for a potential return to the Twins on Friday, in time for the opener of a pivotal three-game series against the Royals that could have massive implications for the AL Central and Wild Card standings.

¡°We¡¯re really getting there with Buck,¡± manager Rocco Baldelli said. ¡°He¡¯s been waiting to get back out there. This is good. It¡¯s the first step, but it¡¯s an important step. Hopefully, everything goes well and we can see him back out there with us before you know it.¡±

The Twins took their time with Buxton¡¯s return timeline after his IL placement on Aug. 15 despite originally having characterized it as a less serious issue, because both team and player want this to be a one-way street, given the proximity of the postseason.

As Buxton still felt less than 100% while running at full speed and slowing down into last week, the last thing both parties wanted to do was to rush the recovery and put Buxton at risk of reinjury, especially coming off a ¡®23 campaign in which Buxton was essentially a non-factor during the Twins¡¯ run to the ALDS due to his persistent knee issues.

¡°I think he knows what's at stake for the team more than thinking of himself in any way,¡± Baldelli said. ¡°When he comes back, we need him to be able to play, not come back and then feel some things after a couple of days and then not be out there on the field.¡±

The Twins could use the boost from Buxton¡¯s bat, considering he was in the midst of a massively resurgent campaign at the plate, hitting .275/.334/.528 with 16 homers and 23 doubles -- both still among the top four on the team -- in 90 games.

They¡¯ve done well to tread water in the absence of both Buxton and Carlos Correa; the Twins have gone 8-10 since Buxton last played on Aug. 12, and entered Monday closer to the AL Central lead (4 games behind Cleveland) than to losing their hold on the third Wild Card slot (4 1/2 games ahead of Boston).

And with Buxton¡¯s progress also comes intrigue in the return -- and promotion -- of Rodriguez.

It¡¯s perhaps an aggressive move, considering Rodriguez -- the organization¡¯s third-ranked prospect -- is still 21 and has missed the last three months due to a right thumb sprain sustained in late May and a setback during his initial attempt at a rehab assignment in July.

Rodriguez only spent 37 games in Double-A Wichita as one of the youngest players in the Texas League, but he took advantage of his tremendous plate discipline to hit .298/.479/.621 for an eye-popping 1.100 OPS with eight homers, 12 doubles and nearly as many walks (42) as strikeouts (46).

That seemingly gave the Twins enough confidence in Rodriguez¡¯s development to immediately push him up to Triple-A coming off the extended injury, and the youngster was hitting third and playing DH for the Saints on Monday, hitting directly behind Buxton. Rodriguez recorded an RBI groundout and two walks in his Triple-A debut.

It seems unlikely that Rodriguez could factor into the Twins¡¯ big league plans this season given all that time missed and his extreme youth, and his progress appears to simply be on track with where he would have been without the injury, as his performance would almost certainly have pushed him up to Triple-A in ¡®24 anyway.

But the biggest hurdle to a debut -- the 40-man roster spot -- isn¡¯t a factor, as Rodriguez was added to the 40-man last offseason, and the Twins haven¡¯t hesitated to push a top prospect in the past, as they did when Alex Kirilloff made his MLB debut in the postseason in 2020.