The Twins are heading into the stretch without Byron Buxton again, and this latest absence comes with the same problem that has followed him for months.
Manager Derek Shelton said Sunday, before Minnesota’s series finale with the White Sox, that the All-Star outfielder is going on the injured list because of a right hip impingement. Buxton’s hip has been an issue since May, and the most recent flare-up arrived in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Athletics. He left that game in the bottom of the seventh inning after moving awkwardly while trying to chase down a line drive in the right-center field gap.
He sat out the club’s next three games and had been considered day to day before the Twins made the move Sunday.
This is Buxton’s third IL stint of the season, and each one has been tied to recurring hip discomfort. The first time it knocked him out was in mid-May, when he missed five games but stayed on the active roster. In July, he went on the IL twice, missing the All-Star Game and playing only nine games between those stays.
Buxton had just returned on Aug. 13, right in time for the MLB at Field of Dreams Game, and he managed to play in 11 games before the hip acted up again.
For Minnesota, now 64-72, the timing stings. The Twins entered Sunday four games behind the Guardians for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.
When he’s on the field, Buxton gives the lineup real punch. The 32-year-old is batting .254/.319/.511 with a 130 OPS+, along with 25 home runs and 46 RBIs in 93 games. He’s also been sharp in center, where his +3 outs above average ranks in the 84th percentile of MLB.
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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 🡒]