The Twins are placing All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton on the injured list with a right hip impingement, manager Derek Shelton said on Sunday before the club’s series finale with the White Sox.
Buxton’s right hip has troubled him since May, with the latest flare up coming in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Athletics. Buxton departed the game in the bottom of the seventh inning after moving awkwardly while attempting to chase down a line drive in the right-center field gap.
He missed the team’s next three games and remained day to day before ultimately landing on the IL on Sunday.
This will be Buxton’s third trip to the IL this season, all due to recurring hip discomfort. The issue first caused Buxton to miss five games in mid-May, although he remained on the active roster. Buxton then landed on the IL twice in July, missing the All-Star Game and playing only nine games in between stints.
This time, Buxton returned on Aug. 13 -- just in time for the MLB at Field of Dreams Game -- and appeared in 11 games before the hip issue cropped up again.
Losing Buxton is an undeniable blow for the Twins (64-72), who entered play on Sunday sitting four games back of the Guardians for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.
When healthy, the 32-year-old is a force in Minnesota’s lineup. He’s hitting .254/.319/.511 (130 OPS+) with 25 home runs and 46 RBIs in just 93 games this season. Buxton has also played strong defense in center field, with his +3 outs above average ranking in the 84th percentile of MLB.