Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton said Tuesday that he was upset with the club for not calling him up in September when rosters expanded.
"Yes. I ain't sugarcoating nothing," Buxton told reporters while in the Twin Cities visiting a children's hospital. "It kind of didn't go over well."
He added: "I wouldn't say we're on the same page, but I ain't going to cause [trouble] between us. I want to be here. This is where I started my career, [and] this is where I want to finish my career, for my teammates, my brothers."
Buxton went on the disabled list in May with a fractured big left toe. The Twins sent him to Triple-A Rochester on a rehab assignment in June and kept him there for the rest of the season after exercising a minor league option on him in July.
Buxton, who won Platinum and Gold Glove awards in 2017, finished the season with a .156 average in only 28 games with the Twins.
One reason the Twins cited for leaving Buxton in the minors was a left wrist injury he developed. They also cited lack of available playing time for him in the majors and on-field performance.
But Buxton hit .365 in 52 at-bats for Rochester in August. He said he's using the snub as motivation entering the season.
"I'm pretty pumped, ready to get the season going," Buxton said. "I guess because I didn't come back, I've got an edge. I don't think it's going away. So for me to be happy, I've got to get back to playing ball."