SEATTLE -- It would have been one of the best robberies of the year.
Instead, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was removed from Saturday night's 12-inning, 4-3 loss to the Mariners at Safeco Field in the sixth inning after coming within feet of stealing a two-run home run from designated hitter Nelson Cruz. Running nearly full speed, Buxton leaped and crashed into the wall, with his glove flying off his hand before he crumpled to the warning track.
After laying motionless, Buxton eventually got to his feet, was evaluated by Twins athletic trainers, then replaced with Robbie Grossman, who shifted over to right field while Max Kepler moved to center. The Twins later announced that Buxton, who had a small laceration above his eye, showed no signs of a concussion and is day to day.
"You're not going to get much more violent on a baseball field in terms of somebody trying to make a play," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We always talk about him being such an elite athlete, and with that kind of speed it just kind of increases the chances of something going awry there."

Buxton, who returned from the disabled list earlier this month after battling migraines and a hairline fracture in his left big toe, went 0-for-2 on Saturday night, dropping his season batting average to .163.
"I don't think he was particularly stable when I got out there as far as his balance and everything like that," Molitor said. "The wind got knocked out of him a little bit. He was disappointed we took him out, but I thought it was the right thing to do."