MINNEAPOLIS -- Early signs were encouraging Thursday morning for Byron Buxton, a day after he left Wednesday’s 4-2 victory over the Cubs with a left hand contusion.
Less than a week before he is scheduled to make his second MLB All-Star Game appearance, Buxton led off with a hit-by-pitch that was originally ruled a foul ball but overturned after a Minnesota challenge. Chicago starter Cade Horton’s 97 mph fastball grazed Buxton near the left pinky finger, which prompted an examination by Twins head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta.
“The update is he’s doing fine,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “Nothing really to add from yesterday. Nothing’s really gotten worse from yesterday. He’s definitely sore, and for the same reasons he came out of the game yesterday, he’s not going to be starting the game today.”
Buxton, who is also slated to take part in Monday’s Home Run Derby, left the clubhouse Wednesday night with his left hand in a wrap. Baldelli said X-rays on Buxton’s hand came back negative.
“Obviously, Buck coming out of the game is not what you’re looking for,” Baldelli said. “He looks like he’s going to be OK. … He was pretty sore, though. So we’ll see.”
Buxton initially remained in the game, stealing second on a headfirst slide then scoring on Ryan Jeffers’ single. He played the top of the second in center field, but Brooks Lee pinch-hit for Buxton in the bottom of the inning.
Buxton was placed on the 7-day Injured list with a concussion after colliding with Carlos Correa earlier this season. Due largely to injuries, Buxton has played more than 100 games in a season just twice (2017 and '24) during his 11-year career.
Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead for the second night in a row, en route to a series win in front of 33,470 fans at Target Field (many of them Cubs supporters who made the 6 1/2 hour drive to the Twin Cities this week). After Buxton scored, Correa’s sharp double to right doubled the lead, Matt Wallner added a solo home run to begin the bottom of the second, and Royce Lewis came home as Wallner sacrificed himself on the basepaths as part of a fourth-inning double-steal attempt.
That made it 4-2 after Chicago scored a pair of runs in the top of the frame.
“We played a really good ballgame,” said Baldelli, whose team has won eight of its past 13 games and sits three games out of an AL Wild Card spot. “The steal of home with Royce was pretty sweet. It was executed really well by [Wallner] and Royce. I think that’s an important run, too, because they put some runs back on the board, 3-2 game, and then we grabbed some momentum back.”
Twins starter David Festa struck out three batters and gave up two earned runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings to even his record at 3-3.
“I thought I was sharp for most of the outing,” Festa said. “I’d like to have that fourth inning back if I could. I need to do a better job cleaning up those innings where I might lose it for two hitters or even one guy, because sometimes it comes back and it bites you.”
Relievers Danny Coulombe, Brock Stewart, Louis Varland and Jhoan Duran combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, with Coulombe surrendering the only hit of that group. After spending Tuesday away from the team due to illness, Duran earned his 14th save of the season.
Fans in attendance were the first to learn that pitcher Joe Ryan was named to the AL All-Star team earlier Wednesday, replacing Houston’s Hunter Brown. Ryan, who ranks eighth among qualified AL pitchers in ERA (2.76), came out of the dugout and tipped his cap after an in-stadium announcement that the 29-year-old is headed to his first Midsummer Classic on July 15 at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
He’s slated to join Buxton in the outfielder’s home state.
Former players back in the booth, and elsewhere
For the second night in a row, Twins.TV deployed a broadcast booth comprised entirely of former (or current) players. Wednesday, it was Glen Perkins, Justin Morneau and Trevor Plouffe. This time, Plouffe ventured down to the warning track past the Twins dugout to serve as a ball boy for a few innings.