Byron

Buxton

The homer was a three-run blast that broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth, his 20th of the season. Buxton hit a career-high 35 homers last year, and his SLG and ISO are both a tick higher so far in 2026. The steal was only his sixth after he stole 24 last season, but he has yet to be caught running. He entered Wednesday with an impressive 134 wRC+ dating back to 2021. Sustained health remains the most important factor for him from a fantasy perspective.

Martin, who is hitting .193 (21-for-109) with one homer and four steals over his last 30 games, has been moved to the top of the order to face Tigers lefty Framber Valdez with Byron Buxton hitting second. The other notable lineup development for Minnesota involves Royce Lewis making his third consecutive start at first base.

Buxton missed the previous two games while dealing with a shoulder contusion. The 32-year-old will likely see some maintenance days over the summer, but it’s great to see the right-handed hitting slugger back at it for the series opener against Detroit.

Twins’ skipper Derek Shelton told reporters that the club considered putting Buxton in the lineup as the designated hitter but ultimately decided it was best to give him another day off following Friday’s collision with the center field wall. He’s still considered day-to-day and it’s possible he could be used off the bench on Sunday.

Twins manager Derek Shelton said there are no plans for Buxton to undergo imaging after he suffered a right shoulder contusion while making a phenomenal leaping catch at the center-field wall during the third inning of Friday’s series opener against the Royals. It’s the same shoulder that he injured while sliding into second base back on May 23. The 32-year-old fantasy stalwart will get some extra time off to rest and recover this weekend, but he appears to have avoided serious injury. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day heading into Sunday’s series finale. It’ll be Ryan Kreidler taking over in center field on Saturday afternoon.

Buxton slammed into the wall while robbing Carter Jensen of an extra-base hit during the top half of the third inning. It sounds like he was fortunate to avoid any significant injuries during the collision. He may get an extra day off on Saturday just to be on the safe side, but shouldn’t be looking at any sort of extended absence.

Buxton crashed into the outfield wall to rob Carter Jensen of an extra-base hit. He was then checked out by trainers on the field and opted to stay in the game, though he was lifted for a pinch hitter when the Twins came to bat in the home half of the inning. Presumably, he’s heading for additional evaluation to determine exactly what’s going on there. Expect the Twins to provide an update on his status after the game.

Buxton is back patrolling center field for the first time since May 23. It’s just his second time in the field since missing five games with a hip issue last month. The 32-year-old fantasy stalwart has homered five times in his last 15 games and has 17 round-trippers through just 51 games.

Buxton has been limited to DH almost exclusively since returning from a hip issue that resulted in a five-game absence earlier this month. The 32-year-old fantasy standout hitting .229 (8-for-35) with two homers and four RBI during that nine-game stretch since the injury. Kody Clemens is in center field for the third time in the last four games on Saturday afternoon at PNC Park.

Buxton put the Twins on the board early, slugging a leadoff homer off David Sandlin to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. It was the 17th homer of the season for Buxton, who continues to swing a hot bat for the Twins. The veteran righty is slashing .270/341/.703 on the month with nine homers and 16 RBI.