{"id":665174,"date":"2026-04-05T20:14:20","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T20:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/665174\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T20:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T20:14:20","slug":"twins-announce-byron-buxton-news-after-missing-rays-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/665174\/","title":{"rendered":"Twins Announce Byron Buxton News After Missing Rays Game"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Minnesota Twins<\/a> enter Sunday\u2019s series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays<\/a> looking to avoid a disaster such as the one from Saturday.<\/p>\n

To start the weekend, the Twins suffered a 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Rays, dropping to a 3-5 record and leaving Minnesota searching for answers at the plate after managing just three hits.<\/p>\n

The Twins didn’t have Byron Buxton available after he exited the home opener against the Rays on Friday.<\/p>\n

Buxton was hit on the right forearm by a fastball and immediately headed to the dugout. X-rays showed no fracture, however, and the initial diagnosis was a forearm contusion. \u201cIt\u2019s an arm,\u201d Buxton said<\/a>. \u201cIt ain\u2019t broken, so I\u2019m good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minnesota held him out of yesterday’s game as a precaution, opting to avoid any risk after the hit-by-pitch incident.<\/p>\n

The decision left open the question of how quickly he would return, with the answer coming on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n

\"Minnesota<\/p>\n

Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) \u00a9 Brett Davis-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

(\u00a9 Brett Davis-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Buxton is back and will serve as Minnesota’s designated hitter<\/a> while batting second in Sunday’s lineup<\/a> as he returns for the series finale.<\/p>\n

The 32-year-old has dealt with injuries<\/a> throughout his career, including similar hit-by-pitch situations, making the cautious approach unsurprising this early in the season.<\/p>\n

Buxton has opened the 2026 campaign with a subpar .154 batting average and just four hits and one RBI across seven games on 26 at-bats.<\/p>\n

Buxton’s presence, however, remains central to the lineup and Minnesota’s hopes for a bounce-back season after last year’s disastrous 70-92 campaign.<\/p>\n

The Twins center fielder will face Tampa Bay starter Nick Martinez on Sunday, against whom he has a strong track record. In 10 at-bats against Martinez, Buxton has hit .400 with two home runs.<\/p>\n

Twins and Rays face each other at 2:10 p.m. ET in Target Field to close their series.<\/p>\n

Related: Blue Jays’ John Schneider Hints at Changes Before Dodgers Series<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: Mariners Receive Good News on $95 Million Shortstop After Injury Scare<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports<\/a> on Apr 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n