Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton has been cleared to return to action after passing Major League Baseball’s concussion protocols. Buxton had been sidelined for over two weeks following a collision with Carlos Correa on May 15.
Initially, Buxton thought he was dealing with a headache after the collision, but he soon realized something more serious was wrong. He stayed in the game and finished the half-inning, but his condition worsened.
"We both know how hard we run every single day and sometimes you can’t avoid these types of plays," Buxton said in an interview. "But I’m just glad that I’m back out there now."
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised the team’s efforts in helping Buxton recover from his injury.
"At the end of the day, neither one of us knew who was going to catch that ball until that last second," Baldelli said. "And then it happened, and it changed everything."
Baldelli credited head athletic trainers Matt Paparesta and Tony Longmire for their work in helping Buxton recover.
"They’ve done an incredible job here," Baldelli said. "They’ve worked tirelessly behind closed doors making sure our players are safe when they’re injured."
Paparesta explained that MLB concussion protocol is designed to be comprehensive and thorough.
"It’s not just about getting back out there as quickly as possible," Paparesta said. "It’s about making sure you’re ready when you do get back out there."
The Twins have been working closely with head athletic trainers from other teams, who have reached out wanting information about their concussion protocol process.
"Everybody wants to learn from our experience here," Paparesta explained. "That means a lot coming from people around baseball saying ‘Hey guys are doing something right.’"
Meanwhile, outfielder Matt Wallner has been making steady progress in his rehabilitation for a strained left hamstring. He played four games prior to leaving Minnesota on April 28 and has since completed multiple rehab assignments, including a recent stint with Double A Wichita Wind Surge where he averaged better than one point per plate appearance (.900 OPS).
Wallner is expected to join Triple-A St. Paul Saints this weekend before potentially being called up by Minnesota if needed during its upcoming series against the Chicago White Sox at home starting Monday night.
"We’ll see how things go this weekend at St. Paul Saints then we’ll make some decisions moving forward."
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