Twins CF Byron Buxton will have arthroscopic hip surgery and miss the rest of the season

Updated Sep. 12, 2026 5:28 p.m. ET

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right hip next week and miss the rest of the season.

Buxton, who was voted as an All-Star starter but missed the game because of the injury, is on the injured list for a third time this season. He's expected to be fully recovered for 2027.

“Obviously it’s surgery, so it’s something that, at some point in time, it’ll probably come back,” Buxton told reporters at Target Field on Friday. “But they definitely reassured me that I’ll be fine the rest of my career going forward. So that’s the encouraging part for sure.”

Buxton aggravated the injury on a slide on July 5 and was placed on the injured list the next day. He had a stint on the IL from July 29 to Aug. 13, and he last played on Aug. 25 when his inability to bend over to grab a ball in the gap signaled the need for another break.

Buxton finished the 2026 season with a .254 batting average, 25 homers and 46 RBIs in 93 games, after the 2024 and 2025 seasons were two of the healthiest of his career. He didn't hit any homers after the All-Star break and had just two extra-base hits in 64 at-bats. Buxton has hit the 100-game mark only three times in 12 major league seasons.

On Saturday, the Twins recalled outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez from Triple-A St. Paul. Rodriguez, one of the organization's top five prospects, started in center field for the game against Cleveland.

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