Notes, quotes and comment

I don't root for injuries, and Aaron Hicks was finally playing like a legitimate major league outfielder, but I think the return of Byron Buxton to the majors is for the best.

For the best for his development, and for the best for the Twins fading postseason possibilities. This team was never going any further than its young talent could take it.

Hicks was described during Wednesday's game as "day to day," so presumably his hamstring injury is not going to keep him out beyond the 15 days he has to spend on the disabled list. By then it will be September, and Buxton was likely to be up anyway.  Ditto Max Kepler, who has been hammering the ball all season at Chattanooga.

I know who I want to see losing playing time when (if) the outfielders are all sound. We'll see in time how Paul Molitor handles that.

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Trevor May got one out Wednesday afternoon. That the Twins sacrificed almost a week of his bullpen availability (beginning a week ago today) for one three-inning spot start on Friday. That would be acceptable if he were staying in the rotation, but he isn't.

That spot start made little sense strategically, and considering how badly the bullpen imploded during the Yankees series, it backfired tactically.

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Dave Dombrowski took over the Red Sox operations Wednesday, and Ben Charrington, the general manager, resigned rather than have another baseball guy above him in the organization.

This is an interesting situation. Charrington's years were marked by a surprise World Series win in 2013 and what appears to be three last-place finishes. The Rex Sox have what is widely regarded as the most stocked farm system in the game, which is to Carrington's credit. They also have an unwieldy major league roster and probably pay more per win than anybody else, which is not to his credit.

Dombrowski's used to a "win-now" edict from ownership. It will be interesting to see how he plays this hand. His Detroit tenure was highlighted more by the importation of talent than the development of it, but he certainly did not merely buy established talent.

The attempts to paint his arrival in Boston as a retreat from sabermetrics are almost certainly overblown. He's also apparently blocked from bringing his key lieutenants in from the Tigers organization, and Charrington's departure may hint at others to come in the Boston hierarchy.