Twins’ All-Star Buxton Exits Yankees Game After Hip Injury Flare-Up

Summary:

• Byron Buxton left Sunday’s Minnesota Twins game against the New York Yankees after aggravating a hip injury during the first inning.
• The Twins star exited one day after being named an American League All-Star starter.
• Buxton said he chose not to risk a more serious injury by trying to play through the pain.

The Minnesota Twins’ center fielder Byron Buxton was forced to leave Sunday’s 6 to 1 victory over the New York Yankees after a recurring hip injury was aggravated in the opening inning during the 2026 MLB season.

Buxton reached base on an infield single before attempting to steal second. During the play, he slid headfirst into the bag and appeared to experience discomfort as he was tagged out by Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe.

The 32-year-old immediately showed signs of pain and was replaced in center field by rookie Kyler Fedko when Minnesota took the field for the bottom of the first inning.

Twins manager Derek Shelton said Buxton appeared to tweak the injury after sprinting to first on his infield hit and then again while attempting to steal second base.

After the game, Byron Buxton said his hip became sore and he chose not to risk making the injury worse.

He explained that he did not want to push through the discomfort and potentially miss a much longer period by trying to finish one game.

All Eyes on Buxton

The injury comes just one day after Buxton was named the American League’s starting center fielder for the .