The Twins won a game Wednesday night but lost All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton for the last seven innings of a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Target Field.
Buxton was hit by a pitch from Cubs starter Cade Horton on his padded left hand — his non-throwing hand — while leading off in the home half of the first inning. He still stole second and scored from there for a 1-0 lead before medical personnel examined that hand.
Afterward, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said imaging done during the game on Buxton’s hand “came back all right.”
“Obviously, Buck coming out of the game is not what you’re looking for,” Baldelli said. “It looks like he’s going to be OK. He was pretty sore, though, so we’ll see.”
Buxton left the clubhouse with a cup in his right hand and a wrap on his left.
“We’re good,” Buxton said. “We’ll be fine.”
Buxton wears protection on that hand because opposing pitchers often crowd him inside with pitches.
It was Buxton’s only at-bat of the night before he left the game after two innings and was replaced by pinch hitter Brooks Lee.