Here we go again. Byron Buxton is heading back to the injured list with a right hip impingement, the exact injury that already cost him time earlier this season. The Twins made it official Wednesday, and according to MLB Trade Rumors, the 32-year-old outfielder is now on the 10-day IL for the second time this year with the same body part barking at him.
MLB Trade Rumors broke the news that Buxton is headed back to the 10-day IL.
This isn't a new storyline for Buxton, unfortunately. He'd already spent 15 days on the IL earlier this month with a similar hip issue, and the injury was bad enough to knock him out of the All-Star Game entirely after fans voted him in as a starting outfielder. He left Tuesday's game against the Royals in the fifth inning, and manager Derek Shelton confirmed Buxton received an injection from Dr. Christopher Larson, per ESPN, with no clear timetable for his return.
The timing stings because the Twins are leaning into buyer mode. At 49-51, Minnesota is still just 4 games back in a muddled AL Central and Wild Card picture, and front office types have signaled they view this roster as good enough to add to rather than blow up. That math gets a lot harder without a healthy Buxton, who remains the engine of this lineup and defense when he's actually on the field.
Buxton being a fixture on the IL is nothing new for anyone who's followed his career. He's dealt with hamstring, knee and now recurring hip problems for years, the price of a game built on elite speed and highlight-reel defense in center field. The dude is a walking superlative when healthy and a walking injury report when he's not, and Twins fans have made peace with that tradeoff because the ceiling is that high.
There's also a bigger subplot here: Buxton is signed through a deal that runs well past this season, carries a full no-trade clause, and both he and the front office have been adamant he's not going anywhere at the deadline. So this isn't about whether Minnesota trades him — it's about whether he's even available to help the team he's not leaving. Tristan Gray got the call-up to fill the roster spot, but nobody in Minneapolis thinks a Triple-A infielder replaces what Buxton brings when he's right.
For fantasy managers and Twins fans alike, this is the same anxious waiting game as always. No firm return date has been set, and given the recurring nature of the injury, there's real reason to wonder if this is a nagging thing that lingers into August rather than a clean 10-day stint. The deadline is coming up fast, and the Twins now have to figure out how aggressive to get on the buy side while their best player watches from the training room.