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    365 Days of Byron Buxton: From All-Star Highs to Injury Lows

    Cody Christie

    By Cody Christie

    Nearly one year ago, Byron Buxton was the starting center fielder for the American League in the All-Star Game. A lot has changed in the last 365 days for Minnesota's superstar player. 

     

    Image courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea and Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

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    Byron Buxton must have been riding high entering the 2022 season after signing a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with the Twins. He knew that the Twin Cities would be his home for most of his professional career, and his family could establish roots in the community. Buxton was comfortable with the organization, and a healthy start to the year proved how valuable he could be to the Twins. 

    Buxton compiled strong first-half numbers to put himself in the conversation for making his first All-Star Game. In 73 games, he hit .216/.293/.531 (.824) with 11 doubles, three triples, and 23 home runs. Some ups and downs were mixed into that performance, but he headed to Los Angeles for the Midsummer Classic. Eventually, he was named a starter because Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout was scratched with a back injury. Buxton hit a go-ahead home run for the American League, and it seemed like Buxton was at a high point in his career. 

    Buxton's second half didn't go nearly as well as his first half. A knee injury that started bothering him in the first half continued to be a problem and limited his playing time. He only played 19 more games after the All-Star break, and his season ended in August. His 92 games played tied for the second-most in his career, but it's hard not to look at his second half with some disappointment. Buxton wasn't the only player hit by the injury bug, but the Twins lost the division lead in the second half and ended the season on a sour note. 

    Buxton had season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in September to clean up an issue that had bothered him for most of the 2022 campaign. Derek Falvey told reporters that expectations for his recovery time to be only a few weeks and that he should be ready for the start of spring training. Unfortunately, Buxton's knee still wasn't 100% as spring training opened, so the Twins had to adjust their plans for the 2023 season. 

    There has been plenty of discussion about the team's decision to move Buxton to full-time DH. During spring training, the club made the move to ensure Buxton could play on a more regular basis. There was likely hope that Buxton could return to center field later in the season, but there were no guarantees. In the season's first month, it looked like the strategy worked as Buxton hit .258/.324/.557 (.881) with six doubles, one triple, and seven home runs. Much like the 2022 season, it was a hot start that injuries would impact later in the year. 

    Since the calendar turned to May, Buxton has been in an offensive slump while dealing with knee issues, back soreness, and missed time when a pitch hit him in the ribs. In 39 games, he has hit .172/.289/.373 (.662) with 13 extra-base hits and a 48-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and Buxton both spoke candidly during the last homestand about Buxton's injury concerns this season. Some fans have pushed for Buxton to be playing center field, but the team doesn't believe his body would hold up to the daily grind associated with one of baseball's most demanding defensive positions. They hope he can play center field again, but it seems unlikely in the short term. 

    The last year has been rough for Buxton, and much of the Twins' on-field success ties to his high performance. Injuries will continue to be a part of the equation with Buxton, so the team will continue to adjust their plan for keeping him on the field. Here's hoping the next 365 days go better for Buxton. 

    What are your thoughts on Byron Buxton's last 365 days? Will he play center field again? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

    Cody Christie is a Twins writer and content contributor. His writing can be found exclusively at Twins Daily and his voice can be heard on radio stations throughout the Upper Midwest. Outside of the Twins, he is a father, high school teacher, and avid runner.
    Follow Cody Christie on Twitter: nodaktwinsfan

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    DocBauer

    DocBauer 22,263

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    Buxton is an AMAZING athlete! He's one of the best CF I've ever seen! In roughly 50yrs of watching and following and loving the Twins through thick and thin, he and Pucket are the most dynamic players in Twins history. 

    I have LOVED watching him in CF. I LOVE watching him on the basepaths! While he seems to run almost in a clumsy fashion as his legs almost can't keep up with his speed, it's a site to behold as he legs out doubles and triples. And for his career, he's amongst the best in SB%. 

    It's a baseball tragedy that his body is betraying all of his talent. It's crazy to me that all time great Oliva is revered, despite his knees betraying what he might have been, and yet Buck is being almost vilified for not having knees that could allow him to be what he might/could have been. 

    I believe the 2023 "rest" as a DH might allow his knees to rest enough, recover enough, that we might still see him as a part time CF in the future. Especially if we're talking post season appearances. 

    I am still saddened that despite therapy, blood placement procedures, some question his dedication to his profession, and the Twins, as a couple days off for the All Star break would have made a difference. 

    There remains a chance his knee(s) will allow him to be at least a part time CF.

    But if he does become a full time DH, is that a bad thing? I understand it limits your roster. But did anyone have a problem when Chilli Davis was our DH? Did anyone object to Cruz as our DH? And now, the roster is 26, not 25. (I still want the 28 man roster during covid that makes so much sense in today's game).

    I DONT like a full time DH. I want a complete and deep roster where the DH is a rotating spot. But there are times when you have a BAT to be said DH where it's OK and special. For Twins history, we again look at Davis, Cruz, and even Thome. 

    IF Byron is destined to be a DH, why can't he be special enough to be a special one? I know it makes the FO and the rest of the roster having to make adjustments, and that's on the fly a bit, and stinks, but WHAT IF?

    As he talked about in the video provided, it's about adjustments. Lord knows he wants to be in CF, and the Twins want the same. But it just might not happen. His body just might not allow him to do so. But WHAT IF he can do a "Cruz" and find a way as a still tremdous athlete to stay warm and engage and just be a batter?

    To be 100% honest, his BA, OB% ,and SLG% have always wavered. Some of that is due to injury, and some of that is due to general streakiness, which is just Buxton. 

    I DO THINK he's a better HITTER than his career numbers. Coaching or attitude, he's got enough life in his bat that if he would stop pulling his head so much, reign in his swing a bit more, he'd start driving more singles and doubles while stilling have massive HR power. Or should I be his personal hitting coach as it seems so obvious?

    And even with bad knees, he can still run in bursts. He can still leg out doubles and triples, score a run when nobody else should, and even steal a key base here and there to maybe make a difference. But the WHOLE key is Byron not only ACCEPTING his role as a DH, mentally and physically, but having the hitting coach(s) helping him adjust to that role.

    It's "iffy" at this point. But man, with his talent, he could be AMAZING as a DH, even if he remains a streaky hitter.

    Doctor Wu

    Doctor Wu 4,337

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    I still keep hoping we will see Buxton in center field at some point this year. I mean, the man is an elite fielder, so why are being teased?  Not being privy to his full health status, it still bewilders me why there isn't any sign that he will play in the field anytime soon. Even as a DH, he still runs the bases fairly well. It's not like he's hobbling and needs a pinch runner once he reaches base (although, outside of the home runs and strikeouts, those times on base are rare). So what really is the prognosis?

    theBOMisthebomb

    theBOMisthebomb 2,289

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    7 hours ago, DocBauer said:

    Buxton is an AMAZING athlete! He's one of the best CF I've ever seen! In roughly 50yrs of watching and following and loving the Twins through thick and thin, he and Pucket are the most dynamic players in Twins history. 

    I have LOVED watching him in CF. I LOVE watching him on the basepaths! While he seems to run almost in a clumsy fashion as his legs almost can't keep up with his speed, it's a site to behold as he legs out doubles and triples. And for his career, he's amongst the best in SB%. 

    It's a baseball tragedy that his body is betraying all of his talent. It's crazy to me that all time great Oliva is revered, despite his knees betraying what he might have been, and yet Buck is being almost vilified for not having knees that could allow him to be what he might/could have been. 

    I believe the 2023 "rest" as a DH might allow his knees to rest enough, recover enough, that we might still see him as a part time CF in the future. Especially if we're talking post season appearances. 

    I am still saddened that despite therapy, blood placement procedures, some question his dedication to his profession, and the Twins, as a couple days off for the All Star break would have made a difference. 

    There remains a chance his knee(s) will allow him to be at least a part time CF.

    But if he does become a full time DH, is that a bad thing? I understand it limits your roster. But did anyone have a problem when Chilli Davis was our DH? Did anyone object to Cruz as our DH? And now, the roster is 26, not 25. (I still want the 28 man roster during covid that makes so much sense in today's game).

    I DONT like a full time DH. I want a complete and deep roster where the DH is a rotating spot. But there are times when you have a BAT to be said DH where it's OK and special. For Twins history, we again look at Davis, Cruz, and even Thome. 

    IF Byron is destined to be a DH, why can't he be special enough to be a special one? I know it makes the FO and the rest of the roster having to make adjustments, and that's on the fly a bit, and stinks, but WHAT IF?

    As he talked about in the video provided, it's about adjustments. Lord knows he wants to be in CF, and the Twins want the same. But it just might not happen. His body just might not allow him to do so. But WHAT IF he can do a "Cruz" and find a way as a still tremdous athlete to stay warm and engage and just be a batter?

    To be 100% honest, his BA, OB% ,and SLG% have always wavered. Some of that is due to injury, and some of that is due to general streakiness, which is just Buxton. 

    I DO THINK he's a better HITTER than his career numbers. Coaching or attitude, he's got enough life in his bat that if he would stop pulling his head so much, reign in his swing a bit more, he'd start driving more singles and doubles while stilling have massive HR power. Or should I be his personal hitting coach as it seems so obvious?

    And even with bad knees, he can still run in bursts. He can still leg out doubles and triples, score a run when nobody else should, and even steal a key base here and there to maybe make a difference. But the WHOLE key is Byron not only ACCEPTING his role as a DH, mentally and physically, but having the hitting coach(s) helping him adjust to that role.

    It's "iffy" at this point. But man, with his talent, he could be AMAZING as a DH, even if he remains a streaky hitter.

    From 1964 - 1971 Tony O played in 161, 149, 159, 146, 128, 153, 157, and 126 games. After only appearing in 10 games in 1972, he appeared in 146, 127, and 131 games from 1973 - 1975. Buxton's games played pale in comparison. 

    Parfigliano

    Parfigliano 12,175

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    On 7/1/2023 at 11:16 PM, DocBauer said:

    Buxton is an AMAZING athlete! He's one of the best CF I've ever seen! In roughly 50yrs of watching and following and loving the Twins through thick and thin, he and Pucket are the most dynamic players in Twins history. 

    I have LOVED watching him in CF. I LOVE watching him on the basepaths! While he seems to run almost in a clumsy fashion as his legs almost can't keep up with his speed, it's a site to behold as he legs out doubles and triples. And for his career, he's amongst the best in SB%. 

    It's a baseball tragedy that his body is betraying all of his talent. It's crazy to me that all time great Oliva is revered, despite his knees betraying what he might have been, and yet Buck is being almost vilified for not having knees that could allow him to be what he might/could have been. 

    I believe the 2023 "rest" as a DH might allow his knees to rest enough, recover enough, that we might still see him as a part time CF in the future. Especially if we're talking post season appearances. 

    I am still saddened that despite therapy, blood placement procedures, some question his dedication to his profession, and the Twins, as a couple days off for the All Star break would have made a difference. 

    There remains a chance his knee(s) will allow him to be at least a part time CF.

    But if he does become a full time DH, is that a bad thing? I understand it limits your roster. But did anyone have a problem when Chilli Davis was our DH? Did anyone object to Cruz as our DH? And now, the roster is 26, not 25. (I still want the 28 man roster during covid that makes so much sense in today's game).

    I DONT like a full time DH. I want a complete and deep roster where the DH is a rotating spot. But there are times when you have a BAT to be said DH where it's OK and special. For Twins history, we again look at Davis, Cruz, and even Thome. 

    IF Byron is destined to be a DH, why can't he be special enough to be a special one? I know it makes the FO and the rest of the roster having to make adjustments, and that's on the fly a bit, and stinks, but WHAT IF?

    As he talked about in the video provided, it's about adjustments. Lord knows he wants to be in CF, and the Twins want the same. But it just might not happen. His body just might not allow him to do so. But WHAT IF he can do a "Cruz" and find a way as a still tremdous athlete to stay warm and engage and just be a batter?

    To be 100% honest, his BA, OB% ,and SLG% have always wavered. Some of that is due to injury, and some of that is due to general streakiness, which is just Buxton. 

    I DO THINK he's a better HITTER than his career numbers. Coaching or attitude, he's got enough life in his bat that if he would stop pulling his head so much, reign in his swing a bit more, he'd start driving more singles and doubles while stilling have massive HR power. Or should I be his personal hitting coach as it seems so obvious?

    And even with bad knees, he can still run in bursts. He can still leg out doubles and triples, score a run when nobody else should, and even steal a key base here and there to maybe make a difference. But the WHOLE key is Byron not only ACCEPTING his role as a DH, mentally and physically, but having the hitting coach(s) helping him adjust to that role.

    It's "iffy" at this point. But man, with his talent, he could be AMAZING as a DH, even if he remains a streaky hitter.

    He is an "amazing" CF that cant play CF or hit.  He's living on the past.



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