Twins center fielder Byron Buxton leaves game against Yankees with a hip injury

NEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota Twins All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton left Sunday’s 6-1 win against the New York Yankees following the first inning after reaggravating a hip injury.

Buxton reached on an infield single to the third base side of the mound and was thrown out trying to steal second base on a headfirst slide during a full-count pitch that Kody Clemens struck out on. Earlier in the at-bat, Buxton attempted to steal second, but Clemens fouled off a pitch.

“He had to go hard on the ball that Weathers knocked down and then on the second one (steal attempt), it kind of grabbed at him a little bit,” Minnesota manager Derek Shelton said.

Buxton appeared to grimace as he was tagged out by New York shortstop Anthony Volpe and was replaced by rookie Kyler Fedko when the Twins took the field. It marked Buxton’s first time caught stealing in 38 tries since May 1, 2024.

“A little sore, didn’t feel too hot,” Buxton said after Minnesota won a series at Yankee Stadium for the first time since 2014. “So being a little more smart than trying to fight through it.

Named Saturday as a starter for the AL All-Star team, Buxton is hitting .271 with 25 homers and 45 RBIs in 75 games this season. The 32-year-old has dealt with hip issues twice this season and drove in two runs in Saturday’s 11-4 win after missing the previous four games with right hip impingement.

“It’s just one of those things where I don’t want to set myself back farther, just in case I was trying to push through it or whatever the situation was,” Buxton said. “I don’t want to put the team in a bad spot by me trying to go out there and be Superman by trying to play one game and I end up missing a month.”

Last season, Buxton appeared in 126 games, his most since appearing in 140 games in 2017, and batted .264 with career bests of 35 homers and 83 RBIs.

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