Byron Buxton Leaves Twins Game With Hip Problem. Same One That’s Bothered Him All Year.

Byron Buxton’s night ended early on Tuesday. The Twins center fielder exited Minnesota’s series opener against the Kansas City Royals with right hip soreness, the team confirmed after the game. He’s dealt with this same hip off and on for most of the season.

Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reported on X that the issue is the same hip that has been bugging Buxton throughout the year. The Twins have not said whether he’ll need imaging or miss additional time. That update could come Wednesday before the next game.

Buxton’s health has always been something of a roller coaster. When he’s on the field, he’s one of the most electric players in baseball — elite defense in center, speed that changes games, and pop in the bat. But staying on the field has been the challenge. He’s played more than 100 games in a season only once in his career. That was 2017. And since 2020, he’s missed chunks of every season with various lower-body injuries.

The hip thing is a concern because it’s not new. It’s been a recurring issue and it flares up at different points. Tuesday night, it flared up again. The Twins pulled him out before it got worse, but that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that this is a one-day thing.

Minnesota is in the thick of a playoff race. They’re fighting for the AL Central lead and every game matters. Losing Buxton for any stretch would hurt. The lineup isn’t the same without his presence at the top, and the outfield defense takes a big hit too. Willi Castro or Michael A. Taylor would see more time in center if Buxton sits, and while both are capable, neither impacts the game the way Buxton does when he’s right.

The team hasn’t ruled anything in or out yet. They’re calling it day-to-day for now. But given this hip has been a nagging problem for months, it’s fair to wonder if they’ll eventually have to shut him down for a spell to get it right.

Buxton himself has talked about managing pain all season. He played through it for a while, but Tuesday night it got to a point where he had to wave the white flag. The Twins training staff checked him on the field before deciding to pull him.

We’ll know more when the Twins address the media Wednesday. For now, it’s another chapter in the ongoing saga of one of the most talented — and most fragile — players in the game.