Many were puzzled when the Twins didn't place Byron Buxton on the injured list after news broke that Minnesota's No. 1 prospect Walker Jenkins was headed to the big leagues ahead of the White Sox series. Buxton exited Tuesday's loss to the Athletics in Sacramento, Calif., with hip discomfort and was out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics. Instead of initially placing Buxton on the IL, the Twins optioned outfielder Alan Roden to Triple-A St. Paul to make room for Jenkins before Friday's game.
Buxton was out of the Twins' lineup on Friday and Saturday, Jenkins' first two games in the majors. Finally, the Twins made the decision many expected, placing Buxton on the 10-day injured list with a right hip impingement ahead of Sunday afternoon's game against the Chicago White Sox. Minnesota recalled outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez, Minnesota's No. 11 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, as a corresponding move.
We have made the following roster move: pic.twitter.com/ajuMtHAm24
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 30, 2026
The Twins are currently four games behind the Cleveland Guardians, who own the third American League Wild Card spot. With less than a month left in the regular season, the Twins' performance over the next couple of weeks will likely determine if Buxton returns this season. If the Twins remain in postseason contention, the team will likely want Buxton to return even if he's still a bit banged up. But if Minnesota completely falls out of the playoff race, there will be no reason for Buxton to return this season.
Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said earlier this week that Buxton could undergo offseason hip surgery. Buxton has now been on the IL three times since early July due to his hip issue.
Before his hip began giving him major issues, Buxton appeared on the verge of winning his second-straight Silver Slugger Award. Prior to being placed on the IL for the first time this year on July 7, Buxton hit an outstanding .271/.328/.575 (148 wRC+) with 25 home runs and 45 RBI. Since then, Buxton has slashed a rough .172/.274/.203 with no home runs over 73 plate appearances.
Gonzalez, a right-handed batter, will likely platoon with Trevor Larnach in left field. Gonzalez appeared in one game with the Twins against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park earlier in the season. He went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run. Over 106 games at Triple-A St. Paul this year, the outfielder has slashed .254/.318/.423 with 15 home runs and 51 RBI.
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