Buxton's injury further muddies Minnesota's status as buyers or sellers ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline as they remain within striking distance of the postseason.
The Minnesota Twins placed All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with rib inflammation that's sidelined him since Saturday.
The Twins initially declined to place Buxton on the injured list Sunday as manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters that an MRI revealed “a good outcome” and declared that Buxton would “hopefully be back very soon.” But they announced his placement on the injured list prior to Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox.
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The news is a blow to Minnesota's long-shot hopes of making it to the postseason. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Twins (51-55) were five games behind the Red Sox (57-51) in the race for the final wild-card berth in the American League with five teams (Rangers, Rays, Guardians, Royals, Angels) between them in the standings.
Buxton's injury further muddies Minnesota's status as buyers or sellers ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline as they remain within striking distance of the postseason but will play without their best offensive player for the foreseeable future.
Buxton, 31, is one of two Twins to make the All-Star Game this summer alongside pitcher Joe Ryan. He's slashing .282/.343/.561 with 23 home runs, 59 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 17 attempts. His home run tally is already the second-highest of his career (28 in 2022) and earned him a spot in the MLB Home Run Derby during the All-Star break.
Buxton left Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals with what the Twins called “left side soreness.” He was initially listed as day-to-day before Sunday's MRI prompted Baldelli's optimistic assessment of his injury. It's not clear what changed between Sunday and Tuesday to prompt the Twins to place Buxton on the injured list.
Category: General Sports