Byron Buxton Crashed Into the Wall Making a Catch. The Twins Are Bracing for the Worst Again
Byron Buxton is the most exciting player in the American League when he is on the field. The problem has always been keeping him there.
The Minnesota Twins center fielder hurt his shoulder Friday night crashing into the wall on a catch. Buxton stayed in the game briefly, then exited for a pinch-hitter. The Twins have not yet released an updated diagnosis, but anyone who has watched Buxton’s career knows what comes next.
Imaging. Disabled list. Weeks or months of rehab. A timeline that gets pushed back at least once. Eventual return. Repeat.
This is the Buxton story. He is one of the most talented players of his generation. He is also one of the most fragile.
The 32-year-old has been on the injured list 14 times in his big league career. He has averaged 87 games per season across the last five years. When he plays, he produces. He is hitting .284 with 14 home runs and 12 stolen bases this season, which projects to a 30-30 pace if he could ever play 150 games. He has never played 150 games. He has never played 140 games. He has played 120 once.
The Twins are 32-29 and sitting in second place in the AL Central behind the Detroit Tigers. They have a real wild card chance. They cannot afford to lose Buxton for any extended stretch, but they probably just did.
The wall crash itself was the kind of play Buxton has built his career on. Twins fans love him because he plays without fear. National writers have spent a decade asking whether the same approach is what keeps him hurt. He is the rare star who is truly better at center field than anyone in baseball, but he cannot stop running into things to prove it.
The injury clouds a bigger conversation. Buxton has a player option at the end of his current deal. He is owed $20 million in 2027. If he plays a clean second half, he is in line for one more big contract. If this latest injury wipes out the next two months, the conversation shifts. Teams already worry about his durability. Another shoulder issue makes it worse.
The Twins have outfield depth. Trevor Larnach has been a quality bat. Matt Wallner can fill in. Walker Jenkins is a top prospect getting closer to a call-up. None of them are Byron Buxton.
That is the problem. There is only one Byron Buxton, and the Twins keep losing him.
The other reality is what this does to the Twins’ deadline strategy. Derek Falvey was already in a strange spot. Minnesota is competitive but not elite. The farm system is decent but not loaded. A short-term outfield rental is not really available on the trade market. The Twins are essentially stuck running with their internal options for at least the next month while they wait on Buxton’s status.
The hardest pill to swallow is that even when Buxton is healthy, the Twins are not built like a true contender. They are a 90-win ceiling team in a soft division. Losing their best player makes that ceiling lower. Losing their best player and then trading him at the deadline because of a contract concern would be franchise malpractice.
Falvey will not do that. The Twins will keep Buxton, keep waiting on his shoulder, and keep hoping the next return goes better than the last one. Twins fans should know the drill by now. Cross your fingers and watch the timeline get pushed back.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
