SEATTLE — Byron Buxton initially thought he was just dealing with a headache in the immediate aftermath of his collision with Carlos Correa just over two weeks ago. While Correa walked off the field alongside a trainer immediately, Buxton stayed in and finished off the half-inning in center.
“I stood there and didn’t move for two outs,” Buxton said. “It felt like 20 minutes and I knew then like it’s probably more serious than a headache.”
Still, he hoped he would be able to avoid the concussion injured list. He tried to work out and go through activities in the days after in Milwaukee but found he couldn’t do them the way he knew he was capable of.
Two weeks later, the center fielder is back. Buxton, manager Rocco Baldelli said, passed Major League Baseball’s concussion protocols on Wednesday in Tampa, leading to his Friday return against the Seattle Mariners.
The play, which occurred on May 15 in Baltimore, saw the two Twins stars collide when they were racing in to catch a Cedric Mullins fly ball. Buxton, somehow, hung onto the ball, even after running face first into Correa’s back as the shortstop, who heard Buxton calling for the ball, tried to avoid impact. Both wound up with concussions.
“At the end of the day, neither one of us knew who was going to catch the ball until the last second,” Buxton said. “I hate it happened, but it’s just one of the things we couldn’t avoid, I guess.”
Correa, who hadn’t had a concussion previously, returned last Friday. Buxton has had concussions in the past. He also deals with migraines. So, it was “a little bit harder to kind of differentiate which one it (was),” he said.
But now that he’s back, he’s hopeful he can pick up where he left off. In the month of May before the concussion, he was hitting .313 with a 1.018 OPS.
Head athletic trainer Nick Paparesta said they put him through a simulated game on Wednesday in Tampa, where they had him hitting in the cage every time the two-hole would come up and had him running in the field outside next to the batting cages. All told, he was on his feet for about two and a half hours during the game to make sure he was in a good spot to return, Paparesta said.
“Everything feels like it’s back to normal,” Buxton said. “It’s just more so getting back in there, getting back in the groove, getting back into center field every day and … just getting back out there and being myself.”
Wallner update
While the Twins got one outfielder back, they’re still awaiting the return of another.
Matt Wallner had Friday as a scheduled day off — but it wasn’t so he could catch a flight to Seattle. He’s expected to play another rehab game with the Triple-A Saints on Saturday, Paparesta said.
“He is having no issues with his hamstring,” Paparesta said. “Doing great.”
So, what are they waiting for?
“I think there’s a number of at-bats we’d like to see him get to and if we’re there, we’re there,” Paparesta said. “He’s done well with (playing) three days in a row.”
In 25 at-bats, Wallner is hitting .320 with a 1.330 OPS. He has eight hits, five of which are home runs, in his six games played.
Briefly
The Twins will send Bailey Ober to the mound on Saturday in a game that will begin at 6:15 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on FOX. He will face Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller. … Reliever Danny Coulombe, on the injured list with a left forearm extensor strain, is in the middle of a long toss program. If things continue to progress well, he is expected to throw a bullpen in the next few days, Paparesta said. … Pablo López hosted bingo for his teammates during the Twins’ lengthy flight from Tampa to Seattle. Baldelli passed some of his time by playing internet chess. “How many chess matches did I lose?” the manager asked. “Several.”
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