Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton sustained a right shoulder contusion during Friday night’s game and will undergo further evaluation on Saturday to determine the extent of his injury.
The star outfielder was hurt when he collided with the outfield wall while making a spectacular leaping catch, forcing him to leave the contest just half an inning later.
“I think we’ll see how he is tomorrow,” Minnesota manager Derek Shelton said after the Twins’ 5-3 win over the Kansas City Royals in Minneapolis. “That’s the biggest thing. The fact that he jammed the same shoulder that he had the issue with before, there’s always concern there. But how he comes in tomorrow, I think, will be a good indicator.”
The injury occurred when Buxton pursued a deep fly ball hit by Carter Jensen to start the third inning in straightaway center field. He made a spectacular backhanded catch before slamming face-first into the padded outfield barrier. Despite appearing to be in significant pain, Buxton initially stayed in the game after being checked by the team’s medical staff.
However, when it was time for his turn at the plate in the bottom half of the inning, the team opted to use pinch hitter Tristan Gray in his place.
The 32-year-old Buxton, who has earned two All-Star selections and a Platinum Glove award, is currently hitting .257 this season with a team-best 18 home runs and 28 RBIs across 55 games.
Throughout his career spent entirely with Minnesota, Buxton has compiled a .248 batting average with 188 home runs and 464 RBIs over 953 games.
