FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Byron Buxton remains sidelined with a sprained left wrist, and the Twins confirmed Wednesday that their top prospect may start the season on the disabled list.
Buxton likely to miss start of season
Twins' top prospect still sidelined by sprained wrist suffered while diving for fly ball
March 26, 2014 at 4:59PM
The 20-year-old outfielder, projected to open the season with Class AA New Britain, injured his wrist while diving for a fly ball 10 days ago, and has not played since. He still feels soreness in the wrist when he swings a bat, though an MRI taken Saturday revealed no structural damage to the wrist.
He has been diagnosed with a sprain of the pisotriquetral joint, which can be slow to heal. Buxton will likely be sidelined for another couple of weeks, Twins doctors believe, meaning he would miss the start of the Eastern League season next Thursday.
"It is in jeopardy, yes," Brad Steil, the Twins' director of minor leagues, said of Buxton's status for Opening Day.
Buxton has been rated the No. 1 prospect in all of minor-league baseball by Baseball America, ESPN, and several other outlets. He batted a combined .334 with 12 home runs and 55 stolen bases at Class A Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers last season.
Miguel Sano, the Twins' other top hitting prospect, underwent elbow surgery last month and will miss the entire 2014 season.
On Tuesday, the Twins dealt lefthanded reliever Jovani Moran, who missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, to Boston in exchange for catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper.
