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The Minnesota Twins placed All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to rib inflammation that has sidelined him since Saturday.
The Twins initially declined to place Buxton on the injured list on Sunday, when manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters that an MRI revealed “a good outcome” and declared Buxton would “hopefully be back very soon.” Then they announced his placement on the injured list prior to Tuesday's game against the Boston Red Sox.
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The news is a blow to Minnesota's long-shot hopes of reaching the postseason. As of Tuesday, the Twins (51-55) were five games behind the Red Sox (57-51) in the race for the final wild card in the American League, with five teams (Rangers, Rays, Guardians, Royals, Angels) between them in the standings.
Buxton's injury further muddies Minnesota's status as buyers or sellers ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. They remain within striking distance of the postseason but will be playing without their best offensive player for the foreseeable future.
Buxton, 31, is one of two Twins who made the All-Star Game this summer, alongside pitcher Joe Ryan. He's slashing .282/.343/.561 with 23 home runs, 59 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 17 attempts this year. Buxton's home run tally is already the second-highest of his career (28 in 2022) and earned him a spot in the Home Run Derby, in which he advanced to the second round.
Buxton left Saturday's game against the Washington Nationals due to what the Twins called “left side soreness.” He was initially listed as day-to-day before Sunday's MRI prompted Baldelli's optimistic assessment.
As of now, it's not clear what changed between Sunday and Tuesday to prompt the Twins to place Buxton on the injured list.
