Minnesota Twins: 5 players that must step up after Byron Buxton’s injury

The Minnesota Twins’ center fielder is done for the season, but who can step up to try and fill the void as the Twins march toward the postseason?

The Minnesota Twins were bracing for bad news on Byron Buxton‘s injured shoulder and on Tuesday, their biggest fears came to reality. After seeing a specialist in California, it was revealed that the left shoulder subluxation that was originally diagnosed on Aug. 1 was actually a torn labrum, meaning that Buxton will undergo season-ending surgery on his shoulder and require a recovery time of five to six months.

The injury comes at an awful time for the Twins who are reeling at just about every position ahead of their three-game series with the Washington Nationals. While many have been focused on the starting rotation, which suffered its own blow with a 60-game suspension for Michael Pineda, the outfield is starting to become paper-thin with almost every member banged up.

While the Twins got good news on Max Kepler‘s injured shoulder on Tuesday, they will still have to figure out a way to survive without Buxton, who helped lead Minnesota to a 57-25 record while he was in the lineup. At this point, the Twins will need all they can from their lineup as they try to hold on in the American League Central, but who can give the most as Minnesota heads down the stretch?