Byron Buxton heads to 10-day IL in surprising Twins reversal

Byron Buxton’s latest injury is going to cost him extended time after all.

The Twins are placing the star outfielder on the 10-day injured list with a hip injury, an unfortunate reversal after the team initially hoped he could avoid an IL stint.

Buxton, 32, had been dealing with a right hip impingement for the past week-plus, but Minnesota originally treated the issue as day-to-day.

“We dealt with the hip earlier in the year, gave it some time and it calmed down, and then gave it some time again, and it re-aggravated,” Twins manager Derek Shelton told reporters Tuesday. “I just think with where we’re at in the schedule, how he’s feeling, knowing that he was going to be down a few days, it was probably the best-case scenario for everybody.”

Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins reacts after hitting a single in the first inning at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, July 5, 2026. MLB Photos via Getty Images

The oft-injured 32-year-old missed a three-game series against the Astros and the series opener against the Yankees before returning to the lineup Saturday, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs while playing center field.

That comeback lasted just one full game.

Buxton aggravated the injury Sunday in the first inning at Yankee Stadium after reaching on an infield single and attempting to steal second base. 

He was thrown out on the play and appeared to grimace after the tag before exiting the game.

The IL stint interrupted what had been one of Buxton’s healthiest and most productive seasons in years. 

Buxton had recently been named an American League All-Star starter and entered the weekend with 25 home runs, which trails only Yordan Alvarez and Junior Caminero among junior circuit hitters. 

Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins looks on before a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 5, 2026. Getty Images

The latest injury adds to what has been a career full of them for Buxton. 

Buxton has played in more than 100 games in just three of his 12 big league seasons since debuting in 2015. 

Last season was one of Buxton’s healthiest in his career, playing in 126 games and hitting 35 home runs en route to his first Silver Slugger award. 

He had played in 73 of the Twins’ first 85 games before the hip issue cropped up late last month.