Twins Byron Buxton leaves game after crashing into wall

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton left the game tonight against the Milwaukee.

Brewers after chasing a flyball and crashing into the fence.

Buxton didn’t appear to be seriously hurt and at this point, it is assumed that he left the game as a precaution. This is just the latest in several instances of Buxton running into a wall and leaving injured. Buxton has previously been seriously injured enough to miss significant playing time due to crashing into walls.

Buxton has stated before that he doesn’t plan to change how he plays in the field and that he put on 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason to handle it better. The problem with bulking up is that it’s just more weight and more force hitting the wall. We will have to wait and see if Buxton is injured and will miss any time outside of tonight’s game.

Buxton may not want to change the way he plays in the field and it’s certainly very exciting to watch but it could actually reduce his value. Catching one flashy fly ball is obviously much lesser in value than Buxton’s availability over the next 10-15 games.

Not many will complain about Buxton’s efforts in the outfield but at the time it can be puzzling why he takes the risks he takes given his injury history. It was understandable before when his hitting wasn’t up to major league standards and he likely felt his best value to the team was making every play in the field. However, in 2019 he’s a great asset at the plate and in the field. When he’s not in the lineup now it’s not just your best defensive player out, it’s also now a solid hitter.