As superstar center fielder Byron Buxton prepares for a homecoming this week with the Home Run Derby and the All Star Game taking place at Truist Park in Atlanta, it’s fitting that injury scare last week briefly threatened his ability to compete.

Not only has Byron Buxton racked up 21 HRs and 17 SBs so far this season, but the Minnesota Twins outfielder has also managed to avoid getting caught stealing.

When the Twins selected Byron Buxton with the second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, they envisioned a game-changing athlete: a lightning-fast center fielder who could wreak havoc on the basepaths, chase down fly balls few others could, and slap line drives from foul line to foul line. Power was more of a footnote in the scouting report.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Twins All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton hit for the cycle Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The cycle was the first for any player in Target Field history since the ballpark opened in 2010. It was the first cycle by a Twins player since Jorge Polanco had one in 2019.

Initial X-rays were negative, but the injury takes place five days before Buxton's scheduled to compete in the Home Run Derby.