Byron Buxton’s right knee is apparently so bad that he physically cannot play center field. That’s what Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said before Tuesday’s Twins-Red Sox game at Target Field.
“At this moment in time, and from the beginning of the year, he has not been physically able to play in the outfield,” said Baldelli. “If he was, he would be out there. If we even thought that it was possible that he could play in the outfield right now, he would be out there. But he can’t. He can’t. He physically can’t.
“And if he was, it’d be great, but it’s not. So instead of us dwelling on that every day and going, ‘Oh, man, can he?’ No, he can’t. And that’s medically, doctors, trainers, watching him go out there and DH where he’s just hitting and running the bases, you add it all together, it’s not really a question because it’s something that’s been beyond pondered and we know the answer.”
Buxton underwent right knee surgery last September. He was slow to go during spring training and played in just three exhibition games and had eight at-bats before starting the regular season as the Twins’ designated hitter.
Before Tuesday’s game, Buxton admitted that being relegated to DH has been a difficult transition.
“That automatically changes your mindset of what you want to do your next at-bat,” Buxton said. “It’s still a little tough for me. I’m just searching, searching for something different.”
Before tonight's game at Target Field, Byron Buxton discussed his recent struggles at the plate and how playing DH – and, more to the point, not playing centerfield – might be affecting his hitting.#MNTwins
(Rocco Baldelli comments later in this thread)
1/3 pic.twitter.com/aRendVdlYG
— KSTPSports (@KSTPSports) June 20, 2023
Baldelli suggested Buxton’s knee isn’t any worse than it was this spring, but it’s also not any better.
“He’s kind of treading water physically just DHing at this point, where he’s not really getting worse, but it’s not really getting closer to him playing in the outfield to this point in the season,” Baldelli said. “Is it disappointing to people who love watching him play? Yes. But it doesn’t change the facts of the situation.”
Buxton had gone 24 consecutive at-bats without a hit before singling to left in his first at-bat Tuesday night against the Red Sox. The single also broke an 0-for-16 streak (with 10 strikeouts) since he returned from the injured list (bruised ribs) last Thursday.
