Twins' Byron Buxton exits Royals game due to right hip discomfort

Buxton was replaced in center field by Manny Margot to start the sixth inning.

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) looks on during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field in Minneapolis on Aug. 9, 2024. / Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Twins center fielder Byron Buxton exited Monday night's 8-3 win over the Kansas City Royals at Target Field in Minneapolis after the fifth inning with right hip discomfort. He's considered day to day.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said postgame he believed Buxton tweaked the hip during his second at-bat, which came during the third inning. Buxton remained in the game through the fifth inning — he struck out in the fifth and was 0 for 3 overall, though he did hit a deep fly ball in his first at-bat — before he decided he needed to exit. Manny Margot replaced him in center field to start the sixth.

"We're going to see how he feels over the next day or two, and we'll go from there," Baldelli said. "We'll see. He's been swinging the bat great. He's looked great recently, so hopefully we get him back soon."

Buxton has been particularly good as of late and is hitting .275 this season with a .334 on-base percentage, a .476 slugging percentage and a .780 OPS. He has 16 homers and 49 RBIs. Buxton homered twice in Sunday's 5-3 series-finale loss to the division-leading Cleveland Guardians.

"Anyone that gets hurt, it's always a bummer," Royce Lewis said. "But at the same time, I think (Buxton) is a tough guy, and I think that mentally what was tougher on him was to exit. And hopefully, for me, what I'm hoping is that he exited like it's going to get worse, and we caught it early.

"I think he's being smart by hopefully doing that, and hopefully that is the case, I don't know, I haven't talked to him, but he sounded like he said it's going to be alright. So I would love to see him and hopefully he's doing alright (Tuesday)."