Twins get ‘good news’ on Byron Buxton injury

The Minnesota Twins received a sigh of relief on Sunday as MRI results for star center fielder Byron Buxton confirmed no major damage after he exited Saturday’s 9-3 loss to the Washington Nationals with discomfort in his left side.

The MRI revealed cartilage irritation in his left ribs, and manager Rocco Baldelli classified Buxton as “day-to-day.”

“That’s a good outcome,” said Baldelli, via John Shipley of The Pioneer Press, following the Twins’ 7-2 loss to Washington at Target Field. “We’ll measure him out, get him looked at by the trainers each day, get him a lot of treatment, and hopefully he’ll be back very soon.”

Buxton, 31, left Saturday’s game after the sixth inning due to side soreness. He did not play in Sunday’s series finale against the Nationals. This season, Buxton has largely remained healthy, aside from a brief seven-day stint on the concussion-injured list in May following an on-field collision with teammate Carlos Correa.

The 2025 season has been one of Buxton’s most productive and durable in recent years. He currently leads the Twins in several offensive categories, including WAR (3.9), home runs (23), RBIs (59), doubles (14), and triples (4). With 105 games already played this season, Buxton is on pace to surpass his career-high 140 games from 2017.

His 2025 campaign has also included major milestones and memorable performances. On May 1, he stole his 100th career base, becoming only the third player in franchise history (since relocation to Minnesota) to tally both 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases, joining legends Kirby Puckett and Torii Hunter.

He hit two home runs in a 12-5 win over the Reds on June 19, including his 12th career leadoff homer, tied for fifth-most in Twins history. Most notably, Buxton hit for the cycle on July 12 during a 12-4 victory over the Pirates on his bobblehead day, becoming the first player to do so at Target Field and the 12th in Twins history since 1961.

Buxton, a two-time All-Star (2022, 2025) and a former Gold Glove and Platinum Glove winner, remains a star of the Twins’ roster. His continued availability is important as the Twins gear up for a three-game home series against the Boston Red Sox beginning Monday.