The Minnesota Twins got some bad news on Friday afternoon: their best player, Byron Buxton, went down with an injury.
He walked off under his own power, so that’s somewhat positive, but he knew, right after sliding at second base, he was hurt, because he slapped the ground in anger.
The Twins have already offered the first update about Buxton’s ailment.
“Byron Buxton is still being evaluated. #MNTwins will have more in post. Right now it’s being called right knee soreness,” Dan Hayes, who covers the Twins for The Athletic, tweeted on Friday afternoon.
Byron Buxton is still being evaluated. #MNTwins will have more in post. Right now it's being called right knee soreness.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) April 15, 2022
Knee injuries are never good, and it’s too early to draw any conclusions.
Still, the fact he could put his own weight into the knee should be viewed as promising.
The Twins Will Probably Run Imaging On Buxton’s Knee
The thing is we probably won’t know for sure the exact nature of the injury and how long he will be out until he undergoes an MRI, which he probably will if the Twins want to cover all bases.
It could be just some minor soreness that doesn’t include any structural damage, in which case he could be back in a few days.
It could also be a grade 1 or a grade 2 knee sprain involving the MCL or LCL, in which case it will heal in two to four weeks.
If the ACL is compromised, however, his absence could be lengthy.
Other scenarios could include patellar tendinitis or knee bursitis.
We will have to wait for a more detailed updated by the Twins, but it’s fair to say that the organization and its fans are all holding their breath: Buxton is, arguably, their best player, and it they want to make the playoffs, they need him in one piece.
NEXT: Byron Buxton Continues Unfortunate Streak Of Injuries