Owing to a litany of injuries, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has only played three seasons of 100-plus games since he debuted in 2015. The former No. 2 overall pick is pacing toward a fourth this year, having appeared in 93 games, but a nagging hip injury has hampered him. Buxton undergoing hip surgery in the offseason is “is definitely a potential option as we sort through everything,” general manager Jeremy Zoll told Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com and other reporters on Friday.
Buxton avoided the injured list this year until a right hip strain sent him to the shelf on July 7. The 32-year-old came back two weeks later, only to return to the IL with a right hip impingement on July 29. The Twins activated Buxton on Aug. 13, but hip discomfort forced him to exit early in Tuesday’s loss to the Athletics. Although Buxton has not played since, the hope is he will avoid a third hip-related IL stint this season.
Buxton’s hip problems have likely contributed to a massive decline in production over the past couple months. He earned his fourth All-Star selection after slashing .271/.328/.525 with 25 home runs and a 148 wRC+ in 306 pre-break plate appearances. However, dating to his initial IL trip this season, Buxton has gone homer-less in 64 PA and hit a lifeless .172/.274/.203 (38 wRC+).
Standout prospect Walker Jenkins, whom the Twins promoted this week, made his debut Friday and covered center in Buxton’s absence. Jenkins went 1 for 3 with a walk, but the Twins were on the wrong end of a 7-4 outcome against the AL Central rival White Sox. Having lost six of seven, Minnesota is 7 1/2 games behind the division-leading White Sox and four out of a Wild Card spot. Their playoff odds are down to 8%, per FanGraphs. If Buxton goes back to the IL and the Twins continue to slide, it is fair to wonder if they will shut him down for the year. For now, Buxton is “still truly day to day,” Zoll said.
In better news for the Twins, right-hander Joe Ryan confirmed to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News he is progressing toward a return. Ryan, out since Aug. 7 with a mild left glute strain, will throw a bullpen session on Sunday. If that goes well, he might be ready for a rehab assignment. The 30-year-old has thrown 125 2/3 innings of 3.65 ERA ball with a 26.4% strikeout rate and a 5.2% walk rate this season. Among 108 pitchers who have amassed at least 100 innings, Ryan ranks 16th in K-BB percentage (21.2).
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Becker, Imagn Images
