Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton is one of the most tantalizing talents in MLB.
The guy can hit the ball a mile and run like the wind, all while being a top-five defensive center fielder in the league.
He is really a one-of-a-kind player,
Unfortunately, he tends to get injured quite a bit more than the average player.
“Byron Buxton is coming out of the game following a leadoff double. He slid into second base feet-first and immediately slapped the ground, evidently in pain. He walks off the field, replaced by Nick Gordon,” MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park tweeted on Friday afternoon.
Buxton knew he was injured even before the slide, judging by his reaction.
Byron Buxton is coming out of the game following a leadoff double. He slid into second base feet-first and immediately slapped the ground, evidently in pain.
He walks off the field, replaced by Nick Gordon.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) April 15, 2022
Here is a video of the moment he got hurt:
Byron Buxton left today's game after sliding into second.
(via @BallySportsNOR)pic.twitter.com/RDKxlOqPLA
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 15, 2022
As of Friday afternoon, there are no reports detailing the area of Buxton’s injury, but the team should update his status after the game.
A Lengthy Injury History
Buxton’s injury history is quite large, and that’s why fans are worried.
He missed almost two months in 2015 with a sprained left thumb, he had a knee contusion and some back spasms in 2016, he missed some time in 2017 with a groin strain and migraines.
In 2018, the migraines returned, plus a strained wrist and a fractured toe, and in 2019, he suffered concussion-like symptoms and a bruised right wrist before a season-ending collision with the wall resulted in shoulder surgery.
A year later, he had to be carted off the field with a left foot sprain and was later hit by a pitch in the helmet which caused more concussion-like symptoms.
Last year he started off hot but suffered hamstring issues, and a hip strain that cost him months.
Just a couple of days after returning, he suffered a fractured hand after being hit by a pitch.
Buxton was the team’s best player in 2021 by Wins Above Replacement (WAR, with 4.2) despite playing only 61 games: he is that good.
If he is out for a significant amount of time, he will be badly missed.
NEXT: Twins Have An Elite Arm In Jhoan Duran