Byron Buxton crashed into the bullpen wall on Thursday as Jonah Heim's home run carried about two inches beyond his glove, then fell to the ground in a heap. The Twins' center fielder caught his breath, dusted himself off and walked back to his position, unscathed.
Hitting routine ground balls, though, turned out to be the real danger to the Twins' hottest hitter in a 4-3 loss to Texas.
Buxton didn't run at top speed after hitting a seventh-inning grounder, then pulled up awkwardly at first base two innings later after hitting another grounder. Buxton walked slowly to the Twins' dugout and was removed from the game.
The injury was diagnosed as a strained hip, the Twins announced after the 4-3 loss to Texas, and his status remains uncertain. Officially, Buxton is listed as day-to-day, but other people's injuries may force him to the 10-day injured list.
The Twins are already missing Luis Arraez, out with concussion symptoms, and Alex Kirilloff, whose sprained wrist will be examined by a specialist in Dayton, Ohio, on Friday. If Buxton will need a few days off, the Twins might need to call up Brent Rooker or another outfielder from Class AAA St. Paul to provide depth.
"I don't know exactly when it happened," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said, though he ruled out the collision with the wall. "Obviously this is something he couldn't run through."
Gordon's game
Nick Gordon drew a walk in the second inning, his first major league plate appearance, and singled two innings later. Both times, he quickly swiped second, becoming the first Twin ever to steal two bases in his big-league debut.
Buxton also stole a base, only the third time in the last four seasons that the Twins have recorded three steals in a game. It also allowed the Twins to equal, in just 30 games, the 14 stolen bases they managed in last year's 60-game season, fewest in the majors.