Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was named an MLB All-Star finalist on Sunday, making him eligible to be a starter for the Midsummer Classic.
Buxton has played like an All-Star this season, hitting .369 with 10 homers, 19 RBI and five stolen bases. The 27-year-old also was named the American League Player of the Month Award in April and finished third in the preliminary vote behind Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.
But the biggest question has been his health. Buxton has been limited to 27 games this season and went back on the injured list earlier this week with a boxer’s fracture in his left hand.
While he will be unable to play in the game due to his latest injury, Buxton will enter a second vote with Trout, Judge, Michael Brantley (Houston Astros), Adolis García (Texas Rangers), Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk (Toronto Blue Jays), Cedric Mullins (Baltimore Orioles) and Alex Verdugo (Boston Red Sox) to determine the starting outfield for the American League.
The vote will begin on Monday and end on Thursday night with the top three outfielders and the top player at each position starting for their respective leagues on July 13 in Denver.
