The Minnesota Twins will continue their series against the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Daikin Park, but they are expected to be without one of their key players once again.
Buxton not in the lineup vs Astros
According to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, Byron Buxton will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup as he continues to deal with a hip issue. The veteran center fielder is set to miss his second consecutive game after an MRI revealed a right hip impingement.
The good news for Minnesota is that the injury does not appear to be serious, and Buxton is currently being considered day-to-day. Even so, the Twins may choose to proceed cautiously with their star outfielder.
With a scheduled off day on Thursday, the club could opt to keep him sidelined for Wednesday's series finale as well, giving him additional time to recover before returning to action.
Positive outlook after MRI
{{/usCountry}}With a scheduled off day on Thursday, the club could opt to keep him sidelined for Wednesday's series finale as well, giving him additional time to recover before returning to action.
Positive outlook after MRI
{{/usCountry}}Concern surrounding Byron Buxton's health surfaced before Monday's series opener when the Twins removed him from the starting lineup shortly before first pitch.
Medical testing revealed that Buxton is dealing with a right hip impingement, and the team currently considers him day-to-day.
Twins manager Derek Shelton indicated that there are no immediate plans to place the star outfielder on the injured list, providing some reassurance.
Manager details injury concern
Signs of the issue were evident during Sunday's win over the Colorado Rockies, when Buxton appeared as the designated hitter.
While he went hitless in four at-bats and struck out once, his performance was overshadowed by visible discomfort at the plate, raising questions about his condition heading into the Astros series.
Shelton later explained that the team decided to take a cautious approach after noticing Buxton appeared uncomfortable during Sunday's contest.
"We had some imaging done, we're waiting to get back on it. Yesterday after watching him in the box, it didn't look right to me, so we had a conversation. Just giving him a day,” the Twins manager said.
After reviewing the test results, Shelton expressed confidence that the issue is not expected to keep Buxton sidelined for an extended period.
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"I think right now we're at a day-to-day place. Really never want to get any farther than that. I think over the course of the last week we've seen how well he's moved. We've seen him on the bases. Just yesterday it just didn't look as comfortable,” Shelton added.
Minnesota capitalizes without Buxton
Given Buxton's history of injuries, avoiding a more serious diagnosis and receiving a day-to-day designation represents a positive development for both the player and the organization.
Despite Buxton's absence, the Twins managed to secure a crucial win in the series opener against Houston. Minnesota edged the Astros 5-4 on the back of home runs from Royce Lewis, Josh Bell, and Victor Caratini.
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The victory lifted the Twins to a 41-45 record on the season. They remain 4.5 games behind the division-leading pace in the American League Central but are still firmly in the postseason hunt, sitting just two games back of the final American League Wild Card position.