The Minnesota Twins are quickly falling out of the playoff race and because of it, they're shutting down star outfielder Byron Buxton for the rest of the season. Buxton will undergo knee surgery and is expected to be ready for Spring Training, per The Athletic.
Byron Buxton is having season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday. #MNTwins https://t.co/FHryiUmBoS
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 23, 2022
It's nothing for Minnesota fans to worry about, though. The procedure is essential to clean up some loose bodies in his knee. Buxton hasn't actually played since August 22nd due to a hip problem, but the knee has been bothering him throughout the entire campaign.
2022 was a solid year for Byron Buxton from a power standpoint, slugging a career-high 28 home runs. But, he hit just .224 in 92 games. The Twins were in the AL Central race earlier this month but after the likes of Buxton, Tyler Mahle, and Jorge Polanco all got hurt, Minnesota went downhill.
They're 3-7 in their last 10 games and have lost four in a row heading into Friday's contest. The Twins sit 9.5 games out in the Wild Card and 10 in the division. Definitely unfortunate considering the talent on this roster that was expected to make some noise. However, health just didn't let it happen.
To be honest, it would've made no sense to try and rush Byron Buxton back anyway if he wasn't at 100 percent. The team had hoped he'd return at some point in early September, but that didn't happen.
What's most important in Buxton getting healthy and in tip-top shape once Spring Training rolls around. After all, he is one of their franchise cornerstones and a player with all the tools.
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