Byron Buxton May Require Offseason Hip Surgery

Byron Buxton, center fielder for the Minnesota Twins, is contemplating offseason hip surgery as he deals with persistent injuries. Since his debut in 2015, Buxton has only played over 100 games in three seasons, and this year he has participated in 93 games, hindered by a recurring hip issue.

Buxton was placed on the injured list after suffering a right hip strain on July 7, returning two weeks later only to face another setback with a right hip impingement on July 29. Although he was activated on August 13, he left a recent game early due to hip discomfort. His performance has notably declined, with no home runs in his last 64 plate appearances and a batting average of .172 since his initial injury.

In Buxton's absence, the Twins promoted prospect Walker Jenkins, who made his debut recently. The team is currently struggling, sitting 7.5 games behind the division-leading White Sox and with playoff odds at 8%. General manager Jeremy Zoll indicated that Buxton's status remains day-to-day, and there are concerns about the possibility of shutting him down for the season if his condition does not improve.