2 min read • April 15, 2022
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Oft-injured Twins star outfielder Byron Buxton left Friday's matinee against the Red Sox with what the team is calling right knee soreness.
Buxton, 28, slammed his helmet on the ground and limped off the field after sliding awkwardly into second base running out a misplayed flyout in the first inning.
Based on initial video, the ProBaseballDocs don't anticipate the injury to be an ACL or any other significant knee injury. One possibility is tendonitis aggravation, but there are no clear injury mechanisms on the play that would indicate a serious issue.
The Twins will know more after doing further tests on the former No. 2 overall pick.
Buxton has played in only 500 games in his 8-year career (out of over 1,300 possible games) and has a history of missing time after suffering freak injuries:
Suffered through migraines in 2017 and 2018 that he has to take medication to address
Fractured his left big toe in April 2018 after fouling a ball off his foot during a rehab assignment, ended his season in May after injury lingered
Dislocated his shoulder on a leaping catch at the wall in August 2019 that lingered, requiring surgery and ending his season and keeping him off the playoff roster for the 101-win Twins
Missed several games in 2019 and 2020 with multiple concussions, incl. late in 2020
Suffered a fractured hand in late June 2021 after being hit by foul ball, missed 2 months
Buxton, one of the best outfielders in baseball when he is on the field, is batting .250 with 3 home runs, 3 doubles, 4 RBI and 5 runs in 24 at-bats this season. Nick Gordon replaced Buxton in the first inning and took 3 at-bats before being replaced himself by Kyle Garlick later in the contest.
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