Byron Buxton Going Back on Twins Shelf After Apparent Setback

The Minnesota Twins outfield is in flux once again. That has been the case a lot, over recent seasons, and the health of Byron Buxton is a big part of that. Despite originally being placed on the 10-day injured list, with intentions to return quickly, the 30-year-old center fielder has hit a snag, yet again.

Buxton has been out since August 12th , dealing with hip discomfort. It was originally reported that he wouldn’t miss much more than the minimum ten days. Now, it has been nearly a month.

Byron Buxton going back on Minnesota Twins shelf…

The most recent plan was for Byron Buxton to return this weekend, vs the Kansas City Royals. He even started a rehab assignment this week. But on Thursday morning, news broke that Buck needs to be re-evaluated, after experiencing more hip discomfort, Wednesday, prior to getting tossed from his rehab game, in St. Paul.

Had Buxton not been ejected last night, it doesn’t sound like he would have lasted much longer playing CF anyways. This isn’t the first time Buxton has missed substantial time, due to hip issues, which affected him in both 2021 and 2022.

The frustration for Minnesota continues to mount. Both Buxton and Carlos Correa have both turned short-term “minor” injuries into month-long problems that won’t go away.

Related: Byron Buxton Ejected from Rehab Game

This season, Byron Buxton has played 90 games . The Baxley, GA native has played more than 100 games in a season, just once during his entire 10-year career. 92 games, in 2022, are the second-most. Buck was on pace to blow past both those numbers, until, of course.

Minnesota has just 23 games left during the regular season. Buxton seems unlikely to play in Kansas City over the weekend, and that means Los Angeles at home next week is a best-case scenario. He needs ten games to reach 100 games. He will also probably have his workload managed when he does return to the Twins lineup.

Related: If the Minnesota Twins Can Just Limp to the Regular Season Finish Line…

Rocco Baldelli has made it clear that he doesn’t see the designated hitter avenue being an option for Buxton this year. The Twins are in position for the postseason, but health is making it incredibly hard on themselves.

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