The Minnesota Twins have placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list due to a hip injury, a decision that reverses the team's initial hope that he could avoid an IL stint. Buxton, 32, had been managing a right hip impingement for over a week.
"We dealt with the hip earlier in the year, gave it some time and it calmed down, and then gave it some time again, and it re-aggravated," Twins manager Derek Shelton told reporters Tuesday. "I just think with where we’re at in the schedule, how he’s feeling, knowing that he was going to be down a few days, it was probably the best-case scenario for everybody."
Buxton missed a three-game series against the Astros and the opener against the Yankees before returning to the lineup on Saturday. He went 1-for-3 with two RBIs in that game while playing center field. However, the injury worsened on Sunday in the first inning at Yankee Stadium. After reaching on an infield single and attempting to steal second base, Buxton was thrown out and appeared to grimace before exiting the game.
The recent setback interrupts what had been one of Buxton's healthiest and most productive seasons in recent years. He was recently named an American League All-Star starter and entered the weekend with 25 home runs, ranking among the top hitters in the American League. The latest injury adds to a career marked by frequent absences; Buxton has played in over 100 games in only three of his 12 big league seasons since his debut in 2015. Last season, he played in 126 games and hit 35 home runs, earning his first Silver Slugger award. Prior to the current hip issue, he had appeared in 73 of the Twins’ first 85 games this season.