CHICAGO – After the Twins welcomed Carlos Correa and Jhoan Duran back from the injured list on consecutive days, they lost Byron Buxton from Wednesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox because of right knee soreness.
Buxton is expected to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam after the Twins return to Minneapolis, but manager Rocco Baldelli didn’t want to speculate on the severity of the injury.
“He was his normal self this morning, so it was something that came up during the game,” Baldelli said. “Besides that, though, he’s been good. He’s got all his work in, and he’s been ready to play.”
Buxton, who declined to speak following the game, attempted to steal second base on three straight full-count pitches to Trevor Larnach in the second inning. He was thrown out after Larnach struck out, slowing to a jog before reaching second base. Buxton gingerly walked off the field, and he did not return.
“We’re going to get some imaging done just so we know what we’re dealing with and we’re going to start there,” Baldelli said. “I really don’t have much more to add. ... He’s been playing a good amount up until this point. We just played 13 [games] in a row. We’re going to take advantage of [Thursday’s] off day, get some rest, assess where we’re at physically and we’ll know probably more Friday.”
Buxton, used exclusively as a designated hitter last year, probably surpassed expectations with how much he played during the first month of the season. He played in 28 of the club’s first 30 games with 20 starts in center field. Last October, he underwent a procedure to excise the plica in his right knee.
He was walking around the clubhouse after Wednesday’s game, which teammates hoped was good news.
“I’ve talked to him,” Ryan Jeffers said. “He’s in good spirits. There is not much to say about that. I don’t know much about what [the injury] is, but he had some uplifting words, and he was in seemingly good spirits. Let’s take that as a good sign.”
