The Twins may be holding their breath a little longer on Byron Buxton.
Minnesota’s star slugger left last Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Athletics with a hip injury, and the latest update suggests the situation is still being sorted out. General manager Jeremy Zoll said Buxton is “day-to-day” and the club is hoping to avoid a trip to the injured list for now, but offseason hip surgery remains on the table.
“Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said Byron Buxton (hip) is “stillday-to-day to day” and will attempt to avoid the injured list for now,” Aaron Gleeman wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Zoll also revealed that Buxton eventually undergoing offseason hip surgery “is definitely a potential option as we sort through everything.”
Buxton has been managing the hip issue for the last few months, according to ESPN. Before the injury update, the 32-year-old was hitting .254 with 25 home runs and 46 RBIs.
For now, the big question is when he gets back into the lineup. The injury does not sound like something that immediately ends his season, but it does add another layer of uncertainty for a team still trying to stay in the playoff picture.
Minnesota is 64-70, sitting third in the AL Central and four games out of a wild card spot. An offseason surgery, if it comes to that, would leave fans weighing two very different possibilities: concern about what it could mean for next year, or relief that it might finally clear out a lingering problem.
In Other News...
Twins Face A Tough Walker Jenkins Question As Playoff Push Slips
As the Twins tried to keep their playoff push alive, one of the bigger organizational calls in August came down to Walker Jenkins and whether his bat should have been brought up from Triple-A. Jenkins was performing exceptionally well there, and the temptation to accelerate his arrival was obvious for a club looking for any edge it could find. Instead, Minnesota chose to keep him in the minors, with development and consistent playing time taking priority over an immediate jump to the majors.
The debate now is less about Jenkins talent than about timing, because the Twins did make other moves to try to improve the roster while the standings tightened. Still, leaving a premium prospect in Triple-A while the postseason chase got harder naturally invites second-guessing, especially when the lineup could have used another spark. It is the kind of decision that can look prudent in the long term and frustrating in the moment, which is exactly where this one sits for Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Jenkins May Have Just Solved A Twins Outfield Problem
Walker Jenkins arrival gives the Twins a cleaner look in the outfield at a time when they could use one. Minnesota has promoted its top prospect, and the move immediately shifts Luke Keaschall out of center field, where the defensive growing pains have been obvious, and toward right field, where he has looked more comfortable. With Byron Buxton still day-to-day because of a hip issue, Jenkins has even stepped into center while the veteran gets a breather, giving the Twins a chance to reshuffle without forcing Keaschall into a job that has not fit well.
For Minnesota, the appeal goes beyond one temporary lineup card. Keaschalls bat remains part of the equation, but the Twins have been searching for a way to maximize him without exposing him in center, and Jenkins presence suddenly makes that easier to manage. Whether this is a short-term fix while Buxton heals or the beginning of a longer-term alignment, it is the kind of roster answer that can matter quickly for a team trying to keep its season moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Suddenly Have A Late-Game Problem They Can't Afford
The Twins have spent much of this stretch playing from behind, and the late innings have started to feel like the part of the game where their offense simply stops carrying over. Minnesota has lost four straight and slipped to a season-low eight games below .500, a slide that has left the club staring at postseason odds of just 5.0 percent. It is one thing to have a bad week in the standings, but it is another when the teams most troubling trend is becoming easier to spot by the inning.
Since the fifth, the Twins have not done enough damage against bullpens, with their late-game production lagging well behind league norms in slugging and home runs. That is a rough place to be for a lineup already operating without Byron Buxton, whose hip injury has taken an obvious bite out of the offense and whose return remains up in the air. For a team trying to stay in the race, the problem is not just scoring less, but running out of answers exactly when games tend to turn. [Read more 🡒]