Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has not played since last Friday.
The Minnesota Twins are once again falling in the American League standings. Minnesota has been one of baseball's streakiest teams in 2026.
The team will get a much-needed day off on Monday after losing four of their last five games, sitting at 30-37 and appearing increasingly likely to be sellers at the trade deadline.
Their most compelling piece is their best player and the face of the franchise in Byron Buxton. He holds a full no-trade clause and has indicated he wants to stay in Minnesota. But it is clear the current roster is not going to contend for quite some time, and he does not fit the timeline, now in his 12th big-league season and 32 years old.
Buxton is currently dealing with an injury after crashing into the outfield wall. He suffered a right shoulder contusion during Friday's game with the Kansas City Royals and has not played since, missing both games over the weekend.
Fortunately, it appears this setback will not be a long one. "Byron Buxton (shoulder) remains out of the Twins' lineup, but Derek Shelton indicated that he's very close to returning. Monday is an off day. Decent chance Buxton is back in the lineup Tuesday," reported Twins writer Aaron Gleeman.
Shelton added, "From the conversation I had with him this morning, he was in a really good spot."
Health has of course been the biggest challenge for Buxton throughout his career. It has held him back more than anything else. Last year, though, he took a meaningful step forward, playing in 126 games, the most he had played since the 2017 season, and it earned him an All-Star selection.
Health has remained a factor this year as well. Buxton has not played every day in center field, frequently drawing starts at designated hitter in May due to a separate hip issue. But he has mostly been available, appearing in 55 of 67 possible games, and when on the field he has still been an excellent all-around player.
Across those 55 games, Buxton has posted a .257 batting average, .319 on-base percentage, .867 OPS, 18 home runs and 28 RBIs. He will likely be Minnesota's lone representative for the All-Star Game in July.
Time will tell if Buxton returns Tuesday for Minnesota's series opener against the Detroit Tigers. Getting their best player back in the lineup matters, even if the bigger questions surrounding his long-term fit in Minnesota are ones that will linger well beyond this week.
