Buxton (knee) is expected to begin baseball activities next week and the Twins plan for him to be the team's starting center fielder next season, the Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "We're going to go into spring training planning on, if everything continues to go well, having him out there in center field and very hopeful that the procedure he had puts him in the spot he needs to be in," manager Rocco Baldelli said, "but we also have to plan for everything, as usual."
Buxton underwent an arthroscopic procedure in October on his right knee to clean up scarring from a 2022 surgery that led to irritation. Buxton had a workout at Target Field last week and was able to do some activities that he was unable to last season. Buxton wasn't able to play in the field last season due to his knee issues (aside from one game during a minor league rehab stint). While the Twins are optimistic he'll be able to play in the field, the team will seek to find options for a backup given that Buxton hasn't played more than 100 games in any of the past seven years and Michael Taylor elected free agency.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Undergoes knee procedure
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Buxton underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee Friday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Buxton experienced a flareup of the patella tendinitis in his knee during the late stages of the season, and his procedure should help lower his risk for additional flareups in the future. The Twins didn't specify exactly how long Buxton will be held out, but the team still expects him to be able to play in center field next season.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Added to ALDS roster
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Buxton (knee) was added to the Twins' active roster Wednesday ahead of ALDS Game 4 against the Astros, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Buxton hasn't appeared in a major-league game since Aug. 1 due to a right knee injury and is not in the lineup for Game 4 on Wednesday night at Target Field, but the 29-year-old could prove to be a weapon off the bench as the Twins aim to avoid elimination. Minnesota is currently down 2-1 in the best-of-five series. Alex Kirilloff (undisclosed) was placed on the injured list in a corresponding move.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Withheld from ALDS roster
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Buxton (knee) isn't on the Twins' roster for the ALDS, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Buxton has been slowly working his way back from a knee injury that has held him out for over two months and advanced to taking live batting practice Friday, but he officially won't be able to make it back before the start of the AL Divisional Series. Buxton remains without a set return timeline, and it's unclear if he will be able to make an appearance in the postseason.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Appears unlikely to return for ALDS
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Buxton (knee) is with the Twins in Houston but "sounded far from certain of the possibility" of being added to their ALDS roster, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Buxton continues to rehab his nagging right knee issue, and while he believes he'd be able to play, he admits it would be in a limited capacity. "It wouldn't probably be at the speed I want it to be, and that's one of those where I don't want to hurt the team," Buxton said. "It's kind of one of those where I don't want to put the team in a bad spot with me coming back at 50, 60, 70 percent." Complicating a potential return for Buxton is that he doesn't appear ready to play the outfield and Royce Lewis (hamstring) also remains limited to designated hitter duty. Buxton hasn't played for the Twins in more than two months.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Not on Minnesota's wild-card roster
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Buxton (knee) has been left off the Twins' AL Wild Card Series roster, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Things were trending in this direction, as Buxton was not present for the Twins' workout Monday. He hasn't played with the big club since early August while dealing with a hamstring injury and more recently an aggravation of his knee issue. Buxton could potentially be added to the Twins' roster should they advance to the ALDS, although the former wouldn't seem to be a given.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Not at Twins' workout Monday
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Buxton (knee) did not participate during the Twins' on-field workout Monday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
It seems likely that Buxton probably did some stuff out of the public view Monday, but he was not part of the workout with his teammates. Buxton has been sidelined since early August with a hamstring injury and more recently a flare-up with his knee issue. His inclusion on the Twins' AL Wild Card Series roster has to be considered a major question mark at this point.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Moves workouts to Minneapolis
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Buxton (knee) will work out with the Twins this week with the minor-league season over as Minnesota evaluates him for a possible addition to the postseason roster, MLB.com reports. He went 1-for-8 during two games at Triple-A St. Paul last weekend.
It seems unlikely he'll be activated from the injured list ahead of the playoffs, especially with the Twins playing their final series on the road in Colorado. Buxton's last rehab stint in early September was shut down after two games due to a flareup of the patella tendinitis in his right knee. It's encouraging he made it through two games over the weekend without a setback, but he didn't play in the field and didn't get much work due to a rainout in St. Paul. He may not be activated for the postseason roster as a result. It's hard to see how the Twins could elect to use him in center field in the playoffs even though that was probably the plan when his first rehab stint started in early September.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Set for second rehab game
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Buxton (knee) went 1-for-4 during a rehab game Thursday for Triple-A St. Paul and will play again Saturday after a scheduled off day Friday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
If Buxton can stay healthy -- his last rehab stint was shut down after two games due to a flareup of the patella tendinitis in his right knee -- it's not clear if he'll be able to get enough at-bats to show he can be activated for the beginning of the playoffs with the minor-league season ending this weekend. Even if he does return in the postseason, the Twins seem unlikely to risk him in center field again, which would limit him to DH.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Resuming assignment Thursday
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Buxton (knee) will resume playing in rehab games with Triple-A St. Paul on Thursday, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Buxton's assignment was shut down after he suffered a knee injury in a Triple-A game Sept. 1 while working his way back from a strained hamstring. He has received a cortisone injection in his knee since then and has now been cleared to resume game action. Barring any further setbacks, Buxton could still make his way back into the Twins' lineup before the end of the regular season.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Gets cortisone injection in knee
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Buxton was given a cortisone injection in his injured right knee Sunday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Buxton was pulled off a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul early last week due to a flareup of the patella tendinitis in his knee. Simply resting wasn't doing the trick, so the decision was made to give him a cortisone injection in hopes that it will speed along the healing process. The Twins remain hopeful that Buxton will be able to get into some rehab games and return before the end of the regular season, although there's no timetable at this point for either of those things.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Meeting Friday to talk next steps
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Buxton (knee/hamstring) will meet with members of the Twins' front office and medical staff Friday to discuss the next steps in his recovery, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
Buxton initially went on the 10-day injured list in early August with a strained right hamstring, but it was a flareup of the patella tendinitis in his right knee, which caused him to pause his rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul earlier this week. The team has said Buxton didn't suffer a new injury and it's something that was somewhat expected as he attempted to play center field for the first time this year. That said, when he might re-start a rehab assignment and whether the plan is still to try him in center field likely won't become clear until after Friday's meeting.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Takes pause in rehab assignment
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Buxton won't join Triple-A St. Paul for its upcoming six-game road trip, with his rehab assignment having been paused Monday due to a flareup of patella tendinitis in his right knee, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The Twins haven't ruled out Buxton from returning this season or playing in center field once he's activated from the 10-day injured list, but time is running out. Even if his knee improves following the upcoming week-long respite, Buxton will likely need to play a few rehab games before getting activated. Buxton played the first game of a rehab assignment last Wednesday in center field, took Thursday off and then left Friday's game while serving as a designated hitter. Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with a strained right hamstring.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Exits with knee injury
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Buxton experienced soreness in the patella tendon of his right knee while playing for Triple-A St. Paul on Friday as the DH, and he was removed from the game after two at-bats, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Buxton played the first game of his rehab assignment Wednesday, which was his first game in center field this year. He then had an off day Thursday. This sounds like a setback which could put his return from the injured list in doubt, as the Twins had been hoping he could return and play center field on a semi-regular basis in September. Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with a strained right hamstring and has served exclusively as a designated hitter in the majors this season due to limitations related to his September 2022 right knee surgery.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Plays center field at Triple-A
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Buxton (hamstring) started in center field Wednesday and went 1-for-2 with two walks at Triple-A St. Paul. He played seven innings. It was the first time Buxton has played in the field in 2023.
Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with a strained right hamstring. It's not clear how long his rehab assignment will last, but he could be activated in early September. Once activated, the 29-year-old looks like he'll get the chance to play his first innings in the field with the big club in 2023 after serving exclusively as a designated hitter prior to landing on the IL on Aug. 4.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Closing in on rehab assignment
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Buxton (hamstring) will run the bases Monday and take live at-bats Tuesday before potentially heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Buxton doesn't look as though he's on pace to return from the 10-day injured list when the Twins' roster expands from 26 to 28 men Friday, but he could be activated soon after that if he's able to head out on a rehab assignment this weekend. According to Hayes, the Twins are still planning on having Buxton log some time in center field during his time in the minors. Once activated, the 29-year-old looks like he'll get the chance to play his first innings in the field with the big club in 2023 after serving exclusively as a designated hitter prior to landing on the IL on Aug. 4.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Still lacks clear return timeline
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Buxton (hamstring) was spotted shagging flyballs in center field Friday in Arlington but he remains without a clear timeline to begin a minor-league rehab assignment, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "He's still building up and getting where he needs to be for us to take the next step," manager Rocco Baldelli said, when asked about Buxton's status.
Buxton has been on the shelf since Aug. 4 with a right hamstring strain. The Twins still anticipate Buxton making his return from the 10-day injured list at some point in September, but until he reaches the point in his recovery program where he's ready for a rehab assignment, a target date for his activation won't be available. Buxton has served exclusively as a designated hitter this season, but the fact that he was seen in the outfield Friday adds credence to the notion that the Twins are planning on having him make at least a handful of starts in center field once he's activated.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Outfield return possible
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Buxton (hamstring) could play center field once he's deemed ready to return from the 10-day injured list, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Buxton has exclusively served as the Twins' designated hitter this season in an effort to keep him healthy, but it's hard to call the plan a success. Even with the extreme caution, he's still landed on the IL twice, though as long as he returns in time to appear in eight more games, he will have reached the second-highest mark (93) of his career. His numbers at the plate (.207/.294/.438) have taken a considerable hit, however, which may or may not be linked with his role change. The Twins have yet to officially announce that he will indeed start outfield work as part of his rehab, but manager Rocco Baldelli said Saturday that the team was having conversations about the idea.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Rehab assignment planned
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Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday that Buxton (hamstring) is getting better but will need to go on a rehab assignment before returning, John Shipley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Buxton has been on the injured list since Aug. 4 with right hamstring tightness. Although his return doesn't seem to be imminent, it's a good sign to hear that he's trending upward. A clearer timeline for Buxton's activation will likely come once he begins his assignment, but a late-August return is certainly possible.
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Twins' Byron Buxton: Shut down two weeks
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Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler said Friday that Buxton (hamstring) will be shut down for the next two weeks, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Buxton was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday due to nagging tightness in his right hamstring that has since been diagnosed as a muscle strain. The team will see how he responds to the two-week shutdown period before attempting to map out a timetable for his return. Matt Wallner is serving as Minnesota's designated hitter Friday night against the Diamondbacks.
