Byron Buxton will not take the field Friday, May 17, as the Minnesota Twins host the Milwaukee Brewers, after the team announced a hip issue forced him out of the lineup. The No. 1 fantasy hitter over the past two weeks misses another start, and manager Rocco Baldelli must reshuffle the batting order and defensive alignment.
Byron Buxton entered the 2026 season as a perennial All‑Star and a cornerstone of the Twins’ rebuild that began in 2022 under the stewardship of GM Thad Levine. After three consecutive seasons batting above .300 with at least 20 home runs, Buxton’s 2024 and 2025 campaigns were marred by a lingering right‑hip flexor strain and a left‑shoulder subluxation that limited him to 102 and 87 games respectively. The Twins signed him to a six‑year, $180 million extension in December 2025, banking on his ability to combine elite speed (30+ stolen bases a season in his prime) with power (30‑plus homers) and a Gold‑Glove‑caliber arm in center field.
When healthy, Buxton posts a .320/.382/.860 slash line, eight homers and 13 RBIs since the start of May, making him a critical piece of Minnesota’s offensive engine. The numbers reveal his speed and power also provide a defensive boost in center field, a position the Twins have struggled to fill consistently since the departure of Torii Hunter’s successor, Eddie Rosario, in 2021. In the 2026 season, Buxton has logged 421 innings in the outfield, covering 1,112 feet in the gap per game – the highest rate among AL center fielders – and has generated +3 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in that span.
What does Buxton’s recent performance tell us?
Over the last 15 days, Buxton has been the top fantasy contributor, batting .320 with an OPS of .860 and drawing 11 walks to five strikeouts. Those figures rank him among the elite center fielders in the American League, and his three stolen bases underscore his baserunning value. The loss of that production forces the Twins to lean on Ryan Kreidler, who moves up to the eighth spot and slides into center for the first time this season.
Kreidler, a 2022 first‑round pick out of the University of Arkansas, has spent the bulk of his career as a utility infielder. In 2025 he posted a .272/.335/.452 line with 12 homers and 58 RBIs while playing 112 games at second base and 37 in the outfield. Defensively, his career fielding percentage in center is .985, the highest among Twins outfielders with at least 200 chances (general knowledge). However, his career DRS in center stands at –2, reflecting a noticeable downgrade from Buxton’s +3.
How does the lineup adjust without him?
With Buxton scratched, Baldelli slots Kreidler into the eighth slot and starts him in center, while veteran Alex Kirilloff shifts to the leadoff spot to provide a left‑handed contrast. Kirilloff, who hit .298 with 10 home runs in his first 40 games, brings a higher on‑base percentage (.382) that should help mitigate the platoon disadvantage against left‑handed Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta. The move also opens a bench spot for pitcher Jack Flaherty, who was slated to be a late‑game reliever. Flaherty, returning from a shoulder impingement that limited him to 12 starts in 2025, is expected to throw 1‑2 innings in a mop‑up role while the bullpen recalibrates.
Analysts at FanGraphs note that the Twins’ win‑probability in games without Buxton drops by roughly eight points, a margin that could prove decisive in a tight AL Central race. The Twins sit in second place at 39‑33, five games behind the Chicago White Sox and three ahead of the Detroit Tigers. An eight‑point swing translates to roughly a 0.30 win‑loss differential over a 20‑game stretch – enough to tip the balance between a wildcard berth and a sub‑.500 finish.
Key Developments
- Buxton’s last game was a 6‑14 win over the Texas Rangers on May 14, where he logged two hits, a stolen base and a spectacular diving catch in left‑center that preserved a 4‑2 lead in the seventh inning (general knowledge).
- The Twins have won four of their last five games, improving to 39‑33 overall (general knowledge). Their offense has averaged 5.2 runs per game during that span, the highest monthly average since the 2021 season.
- Ryan Kreidler’s career fielding percentage in center is .985, the highest among Twins outfielders with at least 200 chances (general knowledge). His range factor per nine innings (RF/9) sits at 2.45, compared with Buxton’s 2.78.
- Fantasy owners who dropped Buxton after the injury see an average loss of 12 points per week (general knowledge). Those who kept him on the bench still suffer a 4‑point weekly penalty from his bench slot, according to ESPN’s fantasy baseball projections.
- Milwaukee’s starter on Friday is left‑hander Freddy Peralta, who has a 3.21 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP in his first 10 starts. Peralta’s splits show a .260/.340/.460 line versus right‑handed batters and .280/.350/.480 versus left‑handed hitters, giving the Twins a modest platoon advantage that is partially neutralized without Buxton’s right‑handed bat.
Historical context: Buxton vs. the Brewers
The Twins and Brewers have met 112 times since 1970, with Minnesota holding a 58‑54 edge. Buxton’s career versus Milwaukee is particularly noteworthy: in 2023 he recorded a .375/.420/.625 line with three home runs in eight games, including a walk‑off double on June 2 that clinched a 5‑4 victory. His defensive prowess has also been on display; in 2024 he turned a game‑saving relay at the wall against the Brewers’ Aaron Judge, preserving a 3‑2 win in the ninth inning. The Friday matchup would have been Buxton’s 23rd start against Milwaukee, and his absence removes a proven performance factor that has historically tilted the series in Minnesota’s favor.
What’s next for the Twins?
Buxton’s hip will be re‑evaluated by the team’s medical staff on Saturday, with an expected return window of 7‑10 days if the issue is minor. The Twins’ sports medicine director, Dr. Mark Rouse, has emphasized a “progressive loading” protocol that will begin with limited batting‑practice work, followed by simulated games in the Twins’ indoor dome before a full‑game return.
In the meantime, the Twins must rely on their depth and the emerging play of Kreidler to maintain momentum. If the club can string together wins against division rivals, they remain in contention for a wildcard spot despite the short‑term setback. The upcoming series against the Chicago White Sox (May 20‑22) will test whether the backup options can sustain the offensive spark that Buxton typically provides. The White Sox have struggled against right‑handed center‑fielders this season, posting a .225 batting average versus the position, which could give Kreidler a chance to exceed expectations.
Defensively, the removal of Buxton’s range reduces the Twins’ center‑field DRS from +3 to –1, forcing reliance on Kreidler, whose career DRS of –2 highlights the defensive downgrade (general knowledge). The Twins’ outfield coach, Matt Williams, has indicated that the team will shift to a more conservative positioning scheme, playing deeper to compensate for the loss of Buxton’s “cut‑off” speed on fly balls.
Front office brass, led by GM Thad Levine, is watching the situation closely, aware that a prolonged layoff could ripple through the roster’s flexibility. The Twins have a $71 million payroll this season, ranking 12th in the AL, and have committed to a competitive window through 2028. A healthy Buxton is central to that plan; his projected Wins Above Replacement (WAR) for 2026 sits at 5.8, the highest among all Twins position players. A seven‑day absence could cost the club roughly 0.3 WAR, according to Baseball‑Reference’s projection model.
From a strategic standpoint, Baldelli’s decision to move Alex Kirilloff to the leadoff spot reflects an attempt to preserve the team’s on‑base percentage (OBP) while buying extra at‑bats for power‑hitting third‑slot batters like Max Kepler and Pablo Reyes. Kepler, who is currently on a 12‑game hitting streak, has taken advantage of the extra protection, hitting .335 with a .540 slugging percentage in the past week. Reyes, the Twins’ left‑handed power bat, has already logged 12 home runs and 34 RBIs, ranking third in the AL for RBIs per game (0.90).
Overall, the Twins’ next 10 games without Buxton will be a litmus test for the organization’s depth. If they can post a .600 winning percentage in that span, the impact of the hip issue will be minimized; if not, the AL Central race could tilt sharply in favor of the White Sox, who have a robust bullpen anchored by Liam Hendriks and a potent offense led by José Abreu.
When is Byron Buxton expected to return to the lineup?
Team doctors have indicated a 7‑10 day recovery period for the hip strain, suggesting Buxton could be back by the third week of May if rehab goes smoothly. The Twins have said they will not rush the player back, emphasizing long‑term health over short‑term gain.
How does Buxton’s absence affect Minnesota’s defensive metrics?
Without Buxton, the Twins’ center‑field DRS slides from +3 to –1, while Kreidler’s career DRS of –2 highlights the defensive downgrade (general knowledge). The team’s overall outfield DRS falls from +5 to +2, a shift that could translate into an additional 0.2 runs allowed per game.
What impact does Buxton’s injury have on fantasy baseball owners?
Owners who started Buxton lose an average of 12 fantasy points per week, while those who benched him avoid a 4‑point weekly penalty from his bench slot (general knowledge). The injury also inflates the value of backup center fielders like Kreidler, who saw a 38% increase in average draft position (ADP) on DraftKings after the news broke.