Byron Buxton Hits the IL Again Because Time is a Flat Circle
Death, taxes, and heading to the injured list.
The Minnesota Twins have officially placed their star center fielder back on the 10-day IL with a right hip impingement, proving once again that relying on Buxton for a full season is an exercise in pure emotional torture.
This is not exactly a new plotline for Minnesota. Buxton already spent a chunk of July on the shelf with a right hip strain, rushed back, and is now sidelined again with the exact same joint causing problems.
When he actually steps in the box, the guy is an absolute force. He is sitting on 25 and a .544 slugging percentage this season, providing the exact kind of middle-of-the-order pop the Twins desperately need.
But you cannot slug from the trainer's room, and his absence completely scrambles the math for anyone looking at Minnesota's daily moneylines.
The Twins are currently locked in a brutal American League Central race, trying to chase down the and . Losing your best power threat and an elite defensive center fielder in late August is the kind of blow that derails a season.
Expect Luke Keaschall to take over the bulk of the center field duties as Minnesota tries to survive their current series against the White Sox and an upcoming tilt with the Detroit Tigers.
If Buxton cannot get this hip right for the final stretch, the Twins might be watching the playoffs from the couch right next to him.