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Byron Buxton's rough luck continues after collision with outfield wall
If not for bad luck, Byron Buxton might have no luck at all.
The former No. 1 prospect and current Minnesota Twins center fielder has seen his promising career derailed by untimely injuries multiple times since being selected No. 2 overall in the 2012 draft. That trend seemed destined to continue on Friday night after Buxton was carted off the field after colliding with the outfield wall at Globe Life Park in Texas.
Buxton was attempting to run down a long drive off the bat of Rougned Odor. It appeared he was in position to make the play, but he sensed the wall and took his eye off the ball, allowing it to bounce off his glove. That allowed Odor to reach with a run-scoring triple, but Buxton’s nightmare was only beginning as his momentum carried him into the wall, where he smacked it hard with his right shoulder and right leg.
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Athletic trainers from both teams as well as Buxton’s teammates rushed to his side after he crumpled to the warning track. He was eventually assisted to his feet. For a brief moment, it even appeared he might be able to shake it off and stay in the game. However, after taking some small steps he was unable to put any weight on his right leg, leading to him being removed by cart.
That led to some anxious moments for the Twins, but it turns out Buxton’s injury is relatively minor. He was diagnosed with a right knee bruise, which is the same knee he bruised on a similar play last weekend.
“It really just scared me a little when my knee gave out on me,” Buxton said after Minnesota’s 6-5 loss to the Rangers. “I never experienced something like that, so it made me panic a little bit more.”
Buxton missed a handful of games with the previous bruise. He’s expected to miss Minnesota’s final two games before the All-Star break, but hopefully nothing beyond that.
Buxton’s latest injury scare will fuel more questions about his durability and perhaps his style of play. He missed over a month at this time last season after spraining his thumb on a head-first slide. In 2014, he played only 31 games at the minor-league level after dealing with wrist issues and a concussion following a violent collision with Double-A teammate Mike Kvasnicka.
That’s not a promising injury history for a 22-year-old, but the Twins are hoping that resilience and maybe a little better awareness are among the traits Buxton develops at the big-league level.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
