Byron Buxton has more hip discomfort, return to Twins likely on hold

Buxton continues to deal with hip pain that has derailed his strong season.

Aug 9, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) slides into second base with a double against the Cleveland Guardians during the sixth inning at Target Field. / Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images

Before he was ejected from Wednesday night's St. Paul Saints game while on a Triple-A rehab assignment, Byron Buxton was dealing with more discomfort in his hip, Rocco Baldelli said on Thursday (via MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park).

Baldelli didn't have much to say, except that Buxton will be evaluated in the coming days. What that seems to mean is that his return to the Twins — which was on track to happen on Friday in Kansas City — is now on hold again.

This issue with his hip has derailed a strong season for Buxton, who has been one of the Twins' most valuable players this year. He hasn't played since August 12 and now might be out for a while longer after this latest setback. We'll have to wait for updates.

Buxton has played in 90 games this season, hitting .275 with 16 home runs and an .862 OPS. After being limited to DH duties last year, he's played in center field for 82 of those games. Buxton's 3.3 WAR ranks just behind fellow injured star Carlos Correa (3.4) for the team lead.

Buxton is so close to reaching the 100-game mark for just the second time in his career and the first time since 2017, but his lingering hip pain is putting that into question. At 75-64, the Twins have 23 games left on the regular season schedule.