Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton will miss this weekend’s series against the Detroit Tigers after receiving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his troublesome knee.
Buxton was out of Saturday’s lineup against the Tigers despite the Twins’ return from the All-Star break, but Buxton’s appearance in All-Star Game, during which he hit a 425-foot homer, altered a treatment schedule the team had planned during the break.
According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, had Buxton not received an invitation to his first All-Star Game, the plan was to stay in Minneapolis to receive treatment on his knee.
The plan included receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection, according to Hayes. A what? According to the Mayo Clinic, PRP injections regenerate damaged tissue. Mayo says the shot can relieve pain and improve function.
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Had Buxton received the shot earlier in the week, he would have been ready to go for the series in Detroit. Instead, Buxton went to Los Angeles and hit the game-winning home run in a 4-3 victory for the American League before receiving the shot on Wednesday.
While Buxton did travel with the team to Detroit, he will not play in either game of the series and will likely return when the Twins open a two-game set with the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
Buxton is hitting .216 but has 23 home runs and a .531 slugging percentage. With the Twins’ lead in the American League Central down to 0.5 games after a pair of wins by the Cleveland Guardians Friday-Saturday, they’ll need Buxton back in the lineup as soon as possible.
