Minnesota Twins All-Star outfielder Byron Buxton will undergo season-ending hip surgery next week, the team announced Friday, per team reporter Audra Martin.
Buxton, sidelined since Aug. 30, has landed on the injured list three times this year due to a lingering hip issue. It continues a career-long trend for the three-time All-Star, who's played over 140 games just once in 12 big-league seasons because of a slew of injuries.
Buxton finishes 2026 with a .254/.319/.511 slash line along with 25 homers, 46 RBIs, and seven stolen bases in 93 games. He was voted into the AL's starting lineup at this year's All-Star Game but didn't play, as he was on the IL at the time.
The 32-year-old has two years and $30 million remaining on his seven-year, $100-million extension that he signed in 2021. As a 10-and-5 player (10 years in the majors, the last five with the same team), Buxton holds full no-trade rights.
Top prospect Walker Jenkins was called up after Buxton's latest injury and has taken over as the Twins' primary center fielder.
Minnesota entered Friday sitting 4.5 games behind Cleveland in the AL wild-card race despite a disappointing 69-77 record.
