Buxton to miss All-Star Game after being placed on IL with right hip strain

MINNEAPOLIS – In hopes of being fully available in the second half and putting a lingering issue fully behind him, Byron Buxton was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with what the Twins are calling a right hip strain. Buxton will miss the upcoming All-Star Game, to which he had been elected as a starter.

Buxton first experienced discomfort in the joint in May, then he encountered a recurrence on the team’s just-finished road trip to Houston and New York. After missing the first four games of the trip, he started in center field on Saturday and Sunday.

“Originally, we gave it a few days and we were hoping that that had cleared it up,” said Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll. “When the symptoms came back in the game, it’s not as bad as it was, but it’s still back.

“As [manager Derek Shelton and head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta] worked through it with Byron, just thinking about the idea of kind of getting caught in this repeated cycle, the best thing at this point is probably just to give it clear down time to let it fully resolve itself so that he’s not in this in-between state and can feel fully confident hopefully for a full second half post-All-Star.”

The Twins recalled outfielder Alan Roden in a corresponding move. Roden has been enjoying an excellent year for Triple-A St. Paul after returning from an early season right shoulder injury.

Buxton received 20 percent of the fan vote in Phase 2 of balloting to earn a starting nod at the 2026 All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14, but the IL stint will prevent his third career appearance in the Midsummer Classic.

The timing therefore worked both for and against Buxton. The All-Star break allows for extra recovery time with a limited number of games missed. But throughout the Twins organization, there was also a desire to see Buxton showcase his talent on the All-Star stage once again.

“There’s multiple factors,” Shelton said. “No. 1, because of the fact of what he means to our team. No. 2, the fact that the All-Star Game is coming up and he was voted to be the starter. I think the thing that I admire the most about Byron Buxton is his No. 1 thought is this team and where we’re at and how he’s going to be able to impact it. As we started to talk through it more, it just became more obvious that it was the best decision for us and for him.”

In his first at-bat on Sunday, Buxton hustled down the line to beat out an infield single that deflected off the glove of Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers, moving Austin Martin to third. Then, on a full-count pitch to No. 3 hitter Kody Clemens, Buxton attempted to steal second base.

Buxton said he felt the discomfort “in between” running to second and sliding into the bag. Clemens swung and missed, and Buxton was caught stealing to complete the double play. It was the first time that Buxton was caught stealing since May 1, 2024.

Buxton, 32, is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, with a .271/.328/.575 slash line and 25 home runs through 75 games.