Byron Buxton Back to DL with Wrist Strain; Twins Should Shut Him Down for Season

MINNEAPOLIS, MN- MAY 21: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the Detroit Tigers on May 21, 2018 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Tigers 4-2. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) 

Byron Buxton is such a classic example of Minnesota luck, it’s sickening. If I were him, I would pack my bags and drive to whichever city is the farthest away from Target Field, go into the front office, and tie myself to a chair until that GM works out a trade that makes my move permanent. Then, I’m writing it into my contract that I will NOT travel with the team back to the Twin Cities.

I wouldn’t even board a plane, for the rest of my life, that passes over central or southern Minnesota…

Today @RocRedWings announced RHP Chase De Jong (acquired from the #Mariners) has been added to the roster.

OF Byron Buxton has been placed on the DL with a left wrist strain.#MNTwins

— Ted (@tlschwerz) August 1, 2018

After hitting like shit for 28 games (batting .156), Buxton really has nothing to gain by coming back this season. Let’s be real, any positive momentum that he would gain would be down the shitter by next season. During the second half of last season, he was one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Everyone, myself included, believed that was going to carry Buxton into his breakout season and into the promise land of great Minnesota Twins. The season that would cement him as one of the upper-echelon center fielders in the American League.

Instead, at 24 years old, Buxton has lost another season to injury. He’s no longer that young up-and-coming prospect. Buxton’s career is in jeopardy of dropping off of the cliff pretty quickly. There’s only 2 months of baseball yet and we’ll be zeroing in on 1 month remaining by the time he HOPEFULLY is back to return. You’d be better off wrapping him in bubble wrap and locking him in a closet for the next 6 months while we wait for spring training to open back up for next season.

Give him the offseason to get healthy and get his mind right. All we can do at this point is cross our fingers and hope something has clicked next season. Let’s pray that he figures something out offensively. And the health side of it might be even scarier, given his recklessness in the outfield.

I don’t know. This blog post is sending me into a spiraling vortex of depression right before I hit the pillow. That always makes for a great night of sleep. Maybe I’ll wake up and this will all just be a dream…

If only.

Eric Strack
Minnesota Sports Fan @RealMNSportsFan