Twins outfielder Byron Buxton exited Team USA's World Baseball Classic opener after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, but appears to have avoided serious injury.
MLB Network insider Jon Morosi reported on the FOX broadcast that Buxton, who hit eighth and started in center field on Friday, was removed from the game to get Pete Crow-Armstrong some playing time -- not because of injury.
Buxton was struck on his right hand by a 91.7 mph four-seamer by Gabriel Barbosa and was attended to by a trainer for a few minutes. He stayed in the game and scored on Brice Turang's three-run double before being pulled to begin the sixth inning.
That Buxton appears to have escaped unscathed is especially encouraging news for the two-time All-Star, who has been marred by injuries throughout his career. The 32-year-old appeared in 126 games for the Twins in 2025, only the third time he has played more than 100 games in a season in his 11-year career.
It's also a big development for a Team USA outfield that already lost Corbin Carroll to a broken hamate bone before the WBC even began.