Twins Injury Report: Byron Buxton Knee Soreness Not Structural, But Will Require Season-Long Management

The Twins were without star centerfielder Byron Buxton for the second straight game on Thursday as he nurses lingering right knee tendonitis. 

Byron Buxton Injury Update

Buxton has been dealing with soreness since spring training but it worsened in recent days according to Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli. 

Luckily all MRIs have returned showing no structural damage to the knee, going back to his initial absence after an apparent injury sliding into second base in mid-April. 

That play itself didn't cause the lingering ailment but it was the first instance of the soreness being so extreme that Buxton couldn't play. 

The patella tendinitis, however, will continue to linger throughout the season and may require more than just day-to-day rest, according to the ProBaseballDocs.

The good news, according to the Docs, is this is purely a pain management issue and he can – and has all season – play through without surgery.

Because it will linger and has already caused Buxton to miss double-digit games the parties may elect to give the 29-year-old a PRP injection in his knee to promote healing, which would require a short trip to the IL.

Baldelli said on Thursday that he doesn't see the value of sending his leadoff hitter to the IL as he would anticipate the soreness returning after a few games back. 

Ideally the PRP would tone the soreness down to allow for longer stretches of consecutive games played. 

Buxton has yet to play in more than nine straight games, which he did from June 8 to June 17 immediately preceding his current flare-up.

The former No. 2 overall pick has emerged as one of the best sluggers in baseball this season, bashing 19 home runs, driving in 33 runs and scoring another 38 runs in 193 at-bats.