Byron Buxton joins Carlos Correa on the concussion injured list
MILWAUKEE – Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has joined shortstop Carlos Correa on the 7-day concussion injured list after the teammates collided while pursuing a fly ball in a Thursday afternoon game against the Baltimore Orioles.Buxton was placed on the injured list before Saturday night’s Twins game in Milwaukee. Correa had been added to the injured list a day earlier.
There’s a reason why this is the type of injury that we have these types of protocols for: many, many steps and authorizations that you have to go through. Because there’s not an easy way to diagnose, treat, and monitor. You have to be thoughtful.
Rocco Baldelli, Twins manager
In the third inning of the Twins’ 4-0 victory on Thursday, Correa retreated to the outfield grass to catch the ball, while Buxton ran inward and appeared to call for it at the last second before their heads collided. Bench coach Jayce Tingler, filling in for Baldelli due to illness, indicated after the game that the crowd noise hindered their communication during the play.
Buxton has been limited by injuries for much of his career – his 102 games played last year represented his highest total since 2017 – but he had appeared in 41 of Minnesota’s first 44 games before this collision. The 31-year-old is batting .261 with an on-base percentage of .312, 10 home runs, 27 RBIs, and eight stolen bases.
Correa, 30, had only missed three games this season before the collision – all of them scheduled rest days – after being limited to 86 games last season due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Correa, a three-time All-Star, is batting .236 with an on-base percentage of .274, two home runs and 13 RBIs this season.
For the second consecutive game, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. started in center field in place of Buxton and Brooks Lee replaced Correa at shortstop. Utilityman Willi Castro was also out of the starting lineup on Saturday after hitting a ball on his right knee the night before in a 3-0 victory in Milwaukee that marked the Twins’ 12th straight win.
