Byron Buxton’s season is over, and the Twins are finally moving toward a long-term fix for his right hip.
Manager Derek Shelton told reporters, including Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune, that Buxton will have arthroscopic surgery next Friday. More detail on the recovery timeline will come after the procedure, but Shelton said it’s possible Buxton could be ready for the start of the 2027 season.
Buxton is currently on the 10-day injured list, and Minnesota can move him to the 60-day IL whenever it needs the roster spot.
The decision doesn’t come out of nowhere. Buxton has dealt with hip problems throughout his career, and that has been especially true in 2026.
He’s spent time on the bench, has worked as the designated hitter at points, and has already landed on the IL multiple times this year. Buxton recently said he likely would need offseason surgery, though he was still trying to make it back in 2026.
Whether the surgery was pushed up because his comeback window narrowed, or because the Twins’ playoff hopes have faded, the timing lines up with a club that’s running out of runway. Minnesota sits at 69-77 and 4.5 games out of a playoff spot, needing to jump four teams with less than two weeks left.
For the Twins, the focus now shifts to getting Buxton right for next season and beyond. The organization has been trying to stay in the fight lately, even as a postseason berth looks unlikely.
Owner Tom Pohlad said he wants to spend more to win back fan trust, and the front office added Jeff Hoffman, Dean Kremer and A.J. Minter at the deadline.
If Buxton is healthy in 2027, he’ll be part of those plans. That “if” has always been the catch with him.
He’s in his 12th big league season and has still never played more than 140 games in a year. He has topped 102 games only twice.
Yet the production remains loud: in 93 games this season, while managing the hip issues, he hit 25 home runs and posted a .254/.319/.511 slash line.
The rest of the offseason could bring more movement in the outfield picture, and Trevor Larnach looks like a name to watch. Minnesota already agreed to trade him at the deadline for Astros reliever Bryan Abreu, but Houston’s owner blocked the deal. Larnach is making $4.475MM this year and is due for an arbitration raise, which makes him a possible trade candidate as the Twins weigh pitching help and their other options on the grass.
Walker Jenkins has been getting center field run with Buxton out, though his early line is a rough .118/.268/.265 in just 41 plate appearances, with a tiny .136 batting average on balls in play. Even so, his prospect status keeps him firmly in the picture for next year.
Luke Keaschall doesn’t profile as a standout defender in the outfield, but his bat is strong enough to keep him in the lineup somewhere, especially now that he’s been pushed off the infield. The Twins also have Kody Clemens, Ryan Kreidler and Austin Martin available to handle some outfield innings, while Gabriel González, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Alan Roden, Matt Wallner and Hendry Mendez are on the 40-man roster as well, though Wallner might be non-tendered.
Buxton’s name will still be central to whatever Minnesota builds next, because he remains one of the club’s most dangerous players when he’s on the field. The problem, as always, is how often that happens. His contract runs through 2028.
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