MINNEAPOLIS -- C.J. Cron is expected to fly back to Minneapolis on Friday night after the completion of a two-game rehab assignment in Florida. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli did not offer a firm timeline for Cron's activation from the 10-day injured list, but he expects the first baseman to return to action shortly.

After Cron was sidelined with recurring right thumb inflammation for the second time on July 22, he went 1-for-8 with a homer in a pair of games with Class A Advanced Fort Myers and the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Twins.

"He responded well," Baldelli said. "I think his thumb and hand are feeling good, they’re feeling fine. I think he’s going to be ready to go soon."

• Box score

Left-hander Lewis Thorpe was optioned back to Triple-A Rochester following Friday night's 11-9 victory over the Royals, which could give the Twins the opening they need on the roster to activate Cron, if they are ready to do so.

Cron's looming return could leave the Twins with a roster crunch of sorts on the position player side, as the team's renewed health among position players and the strong performances of both Luis Arraez and Ehire Adrianza leave the club without any clear options to send to the Minor Leagues to make roster space.

Of the two, Arraez has remaining Minor League options, and he was originally called up as an injury replacement, but he has essentially seized an everyday role due to his positional versatility and his .342/.418/.436 batting line in 44 games. Adrianza entered Friday hitting .361/.443/.530 since May 15.

It's certainly not a bad problem for the Twins to have.

"We haven't actually had this entire group healthy and together at the exact same time for almost the entire season," Baldelli said. "So if you add C.J. into the group and start looking at what the position player contingent looks like, that's a pretty full group of guys that can play. Guys that probably expect to play regularly. Guys who deserve to play regularly."

But, as Thorpe's demotion may suggest, one solution could be for the Twins to go back to a seven-man bullpen, as many of the club's primary relievers were able to see reduced action at the end of July due to the innings-eating ability of Kohl Stewart, Sean Poppen, Devin Smeltzer, Cody Stashak and Thorpe, who have filled in the gaps in the relief corps.

"I could see that as a possibility," Baldelli said. "You can’t have everything. You can’t have all the depth position player-wise and be able to have eight guys in the bullpen. ... It’s really just a long year and at different points in that year, you have to do different things to make it work roster-wise in order to just function."

Buxton scratched

Byron Buxton was a late scratch from the starting lineup on Friday due to left shoulder soreness stemming from running into the outfield wall at Marlins Park on Thursday. He is considered day to day. Max Kepler moved into center field, Marwin Gonzalez shifted to right field, and Adrianza made the start at first base against the Royals.

Baldelli said after the game that Buxton was "pretty sore" and will be evaluated again on Saturday.

Buxton, who was presented with his Heart and Hustle Award before Friday's game, ran into the wall in right-center field in the second inning of Thursday's game while attempting to catch a deep fly ball that ended up as an RBI triple for Harold Ramirez. Buxton had just been activated off the 10-day IL the previous Thursday after he had been sidelined with concussion-related symptoms.

Nathan ready for Twins HOF ceremony

Longtime closer Joe Nathan and former club president Jerry Bell will be officially inducted as the 32nd and 33rd members of the Twins Hall of Fame on Saturday and Sunday as part of the club's annual Hall of Fame Weekend festivities.

Nathan recorded 260 saves in seven seasons with the Twins after he came to Minnesota in the trade that sent A.J. Pierzynski to the Giants before the 2004 season. Nathan is the franchise's all-time saves leader and a four-time American League All-Star, twice finishing in the top five in the AL Cy Young Award voting.

"Tomorrow's going to be about thanking the people that deserve to be thanked," Nathan said. "They're the reason that I'm going to be standing up there. It's going to be about paying my respect to them and thanking them for everything they've done for me to get me to this point, because it takes an army to get here."