Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton will be out for at least a few more days after an MRI exam confirmed he is dealing with a right hip impingement. For now, the team has decided against placing him on the injured list.
Buxton sat out Minnesota’s Tuesday road matchup against the Houston Astros, adding to the absence he already had from the series opener on Monday.
The hip problem surfaced over the weekend and got to a point where Buxton felt he could no longer push through it without getting it evaluated by medical staff.
“It’s something we’ve been managing for a little while,” Buxton told MLB.com. “It was a little bit more than normal. It was one of those times where I’m not trying to be a hero.”
The discomfort is similar to a hip issue that caused Buxton to miss several games back in May. However, he noted that the bigger concern recently has been how it affected his hitting. During Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, he felt his body was holding back his performance at the plate.
“I was missing some pitches I normally do damage with,” Buxton said. “I just wasn’t rotating through the body.”
Manager Derek Shelton said the team will let the schedule play a role in deciding next steps. Minnesota wraps up its Houston series on Wednesday, followed by a scheduled off day Thursday. That gives Buxton a natural break before the Twins open a weekend series against the New York Yankees.
Buxton is the team’s home run leader with 25 on the season and ranks third on the club with 43 RBIs, hitting .268. The 32-year-old has spent his entire career with Minnesota, compiling a .249 batting average with 193 home runs and 479 RBIs across 971 games. The Twins currently sit in third place in the American League Central division.
