The injury bug seems to be creeping into the Minnesota Twins clubhouse. In the same game where shortstop Kyle Farmer was hit in the face with a pitch, star outfielder Byron Buxton was slow to get up after appearing to land on his head/neck following a collision.
Buxton was heading to second base on a groundball when he collided with Chicago White Sox second baseman Lenyn Sosa. Buxton laid flat on his stomach for a few seconds while receiving medical attention but was able to walk off on his own power.
With the play occurring in the bottom of the seventh inning and Buxton in the lineup as a designated hitter, he did not appear again in the game following the collision. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said postgame that Buxton would not have hit again if his spot in the lineup came up again. He added that Buxton felt sore and will be reevaluated tomorrow.
The two scares come on the backs of a plethora of injuries for the Twins. Joey Gallo, Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler, presumed starters when healthy, are all currently on the injured list. Carlos Correa has also missed the last four games due to back tightness, adding to the Twins' woes.
Buxton is one of the most talented players in Major League Baseball but has been hampered by injury throughout his career. The second overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Twins has played just 596 games since making his debut in June 2015. He's played in over 100 games just once, in 2017.
The Twins won Wednesday's game to improve to 8-4 on the young season, but at what cost? Losing more players, especially of the caliber of Byron Buxton, will not bode well for the Twins and their postseason aspirations.
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