Maybe he just needed some rest.
Minnesota Twins centerfield Byron Buxton returned from injury on Saturday as the Twins attempted to do away with its four-game losing streak, but it couldn’t reign victorious. It wasn’t until Tuesday though, when Buxton told the Nationals to buckle in as he took them for a ride.
At Nationals Park, Buxton knocked two bro bombs over the wall along with three runs batted in in a 10-0 victory against the Nationals — snapping the Twins’ seven-game losing streak.
On May 1, Twins centerfielder Byron Buxton went down with knee inflammation, an injury that knocked him out of action for a couple of weeks.
Upon his return, the 2022 MLB All-Star returned but was only able to register two hits in three contests.
This time, Buxton took a different approach and things worked out.
“I’ve been overthinking a little bit,” Buxton told the media after the contest. “Today, just went up there and didn’t try to do too much.”
For a slugger, a performance like that would add up given his mentality on Tuesday. Despite manning the designated hitter spot last season, injuries have set Buxton back and prevented him from reaching slugger status.
In fact, the two blasts brought Buxton’s season total to three, as he’s participated in 32 games and boasts a .257 batting average.
Buxton made his mark as a designated hitter in 2023 in an attempt to preserve his right knee. With his knee problems and the team’s losing skid, Buxton’s back was against the wall and he still prevailed.
“Something needed to change,” Buxton said.
On his first homer, Buxton took Patrick Corbin’s cutter into opposite field and queued his signature “Buck Truck” celebration as he trotted around the basepath with his team up 1-0.
The hit got not just Buxton energized, but the whole team as Corbin continued to get mauled by the Twins bats. One homer is enough for Buxton though, right?
Incorrect.
In the fifth inning, Buxton boomed another ball across the wall with Carlos Correa coming in from first. The homer marked Buxton’s first multi-homer game since July 21, 2023, against the White Sox.
A performance like such coming soon after injury is encouraging for Buxton as he hopes to make it through the season generally healthy for once.
In prior seasons, Buxton’s injury plague has forced 2017 to be the last time the 6-foot-2 outfielder played in at least 100 games. Despite this, Buxton is on the books for 7 years, $100 million after avoiding arbitration in 2022.
In that campaign, Buxton’s value was clear as he boasted a 4 WAR. That value has been in question as he has put forth a .8 and .6 WAR in the following seasons, respectively.
After a big game over the Nats, though, Buxton could be turning back the clock and proving his worth as the season continues.
Recent Comments