Twins manager says the quiet part out loud about Byron Buxton

The Minnesota Twins are fighting hard to keep in step with their peers in the AL Central standings, and it did not help whatsoever that they suffered an 8-6 loss to a division rival in the Kansas City Royals on Thursday night. This most recent defeat dropped them to 29-35 on the season, although the Twins organization has plenty of reason to be confident, as long as their best player in Byron Buxton is healthy enough to suit up.

Buxton, at 32 years of age, remains quite the immense player for the Twins. But the story of his career over the past few seasons is his continued battle with the injury bug. He has only suited up in over 100 games in two of the past five seasons, although the good news is that those two seasons have come over the past two.

For Twins manager Derek Shelton, the important thing is that Buxton is on the field to lead the way for his team.

“The most important thing is Buck is on the field or in our lineup for us,” Shelton said, via MLB Network on X (formerly Twitter). “This is 100 percent Byron Buxton’s team and he controls our clubhouse.”

"The most important thing is Buck is on the field or in our lineup for us."

With his return to center field, #Twins manager Derek Shelton is focused on making sure Byron Buxton maintains his health:#NoPlaceLikeHERE
https://t.co/iXax8hx4iO pic.twitter.com/S4XiLWL9PU

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) June 4, 2026

The past few years have not gone according to plan for the Twins. But the numbers don’t lie. Minnesota’s win rate as a team since 2021 was at .479, but with Buxton, it was at .488. That is not a major improvement whatsoever, but it’s become rather evident that Buxton makes the team so much better.

Thus far this season, Buxton is sporting an OPS of .871 to go along with 18 home runs and 28 runs batted in. The team around him has been in decline, but as long as Buxton is on this team, there is a foundational piece for the franchise to plant its flag on.

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