Byron Buxton placed on the IL again with a hip injury, per Yahoo Sports

Byron Buxton is on the injured list again, per Yahoo Sports, this time with a hip injury — the latest entry in what the outlet characterizes as an injury-plagued season for the Minnesota center fielder.

What happened

Yahoo Sports reported that Buxton has been placed on the IL with a hip injury, adding another chapter to a season already defined by health setbacks. The report does not specify which IL designation applies, nor does it detail when the injury occurred or how it was sustained. What it does make clear is that this is not the first time Buxton has landed on the shelf in 2026.

The report is not a club announcement. The Twins have not been cited as making a formal statement in the material available, and the details should be treated accordingly — as reported, not as settled.

Why it matters

Buxton's availability has long been the variable that shapes Minnesota's ceiling in any given stretch. When he plays, the Twins have a different team. When he doesn't — and the record of recent seasons suggests "when" is doing considerable work in that sentence — the roster has to absorb the absence of one of the more impactful center fielders in the American League.

The timing is particularly pointed. The Twins enter the week at 68-74 (.479), sitting third in the AL Central and 6 games back of the division lead. In the Wild Card picture, they rank 7th, sitting 3.5 games relative to the cut line. That is not an impossible gap to close, but it is not a gap that closes itself, and it does not close without contributions from the players who are supposed to be the difference-makers.

Per the report, this IL placement is not a first occurrence — "again" is the operative word — and that repetition narrows the margin for error considerably as the calendar turns toward September.

Where the club stands

### Is Minnesota still in the Wild Card race?

Technically, yes. At 68-74, the Twins are 3.5 games outside the Wild Card cut line. That is a real deficit at this stage of the season, but the roster is not mathematically eliminated, and the schedule ahead offers a specific opportunity to apply pressure.

Minnesota opens a three-game home series against the Detroit Tigers at Target Field on Monday, August 31, with Taj Bradley taking the ball against Jackson Jobe. The series continues Tuesday, September 1, with Andrew Morris opposing Troy Melton, and wraps Wednesday, September 2, with Dean Kremer facing Drew Anderson. Three games against a division rival, at home, with the standings tight enough that the results will matter — that is the kind of series that either keeps a fringe contender breathing or quietly closes the door.

The Twins enter that series on a W1 streak, which is something, even if one win does not rewrite a 68-74 record.

The broader context here is the roster mechanics the club now has to navigate. Under general league rules, active rosters expand from 26 to 28 players beginning September 1, which gives teams additional flexibility to carry depth and manage workloads. That expansion does not replace Buxton, but it does give Minnesota's front office more room to maneuver around the absence — whether that means calling up a depth outfielder, adjusting lineup construction, or simply having an extra arm available to compensate for the offensive hole.

The 10-day IL, which applies to position players under standard league rules, sets a floor on how long Buxton is away from the active roster. Beyond that minimum, the timeline is entirely unspecified in the available reporting.

What we don't know yet

The report does not indicate the severity of the hip injury, which part of the hip is involved, or whether any imaging or further evaluation has been completed. There is no timetable offered, no characterization of the injury beyond "hip," and no indication of whether this is a new injury or a recurrence of something managed earlier in the season.

The report also does not specify which IL designation was used — the standard 10-day IL, or a longer-term placement that would remove Buxton from the 40-man count. That distinction matters for how the club structures its roster going forward, particularly with September expansion arriving immediately.

Whether the Twins have identified a corresponding roster move, or who steps into the lineup in Buxton's absence, is not addressed in the available material.

What to watch

The Detroit series beginning Monday is the immediate focal point. Three games at Target Field against a division opponent, with the Twins needing to gain ground in the Wild Card race, will tell a great deal about whether this club has the depth to absorb another Buxton absence and still compete. Taj Bradley's start on Monday is the first data point.

Beyond the series itself, watch for any formal club announcement regarding the IL placement — Yahoo Sports' report is the current record, and a club statement would either add specificity around the designation or clarify the timeline. Any update on Buxton's status, including whether a rehab assignment becomes part of the conversation, would also sharpen the picture considerably.

Under general league rules, a position player on a rehab assignment has up to 20 days before he must be activated or moved. Whether that window becomes relevant here depends entirely on how the hip responds — and that, for now, is information that has not been shared publicly in the available reporting.

The Twins are in a difficult spot in the standings, playing meaningful September baseball with a question mark in center field. How Minnesota manages it over the next two weeks will determine whether the Wild Card conversation stays alive or quietly concludes itself before the calendar gets a chance to matter.