Twins’ Carlos Correa & Byron Buxton On Concussion IL Following Head-To-Head Collision

A routine fly ball from the Baltimore Orioles’ Cedric Mullins on Thursday became a terrifying moment when Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa and outfielder Byron Buxton both went for it. With their eyes trained upward, the pair didn’t see each other until they clacked heads.

Buxton managed to hang onto the ball, but both men lay dazed on the ground for a long moment after the play. Correa left the game immediately, while Buxton played out the inning before departing.

The Twins have officially placed both players on the seven-day concussion injured list, but have not set forth return timelines yet. Correa and Buxton were reportedly participating in concussion protocol exercises on Monday and are eligible to be cleared as soon as the end of this week.

In the meantime, though, the injuries handicap an already-underperforming Twins batting lineup. The team extended its win streak to 13 games on Saturday before losing to the Brewers 2-5 on Sunday—a streak that was largely bolstered by its pitching. Minnesota boasts the third-best ERA in the league, at 3.20, but its hitters are just 18th in runs scored.

Losing Correa and Buxton doesn’t help. While Correa was having a disappointing year to that point, hitting .238/.276/.333 over the course of the season, his offense was seemingly ramping up. He recorded multiple hits in two of his last three games going into Thursday. Meanwhile, Buxton has arguably been the Twins’ most valuable hitter, posting .258/.310/.503 splits and contributing his tenth home run of the year just an inning before the collision.

Teammates Ryan Jeffers, Kody Clemens and Trevor Larnach have stepped up to provide the offense necessary to win two of three games since the injuries – in fact, Jeffers managed a four-hit game to lift the Twins over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday.

Still, Minnesota will be missing Correa and Buxton both on offense and defense for as long as they’re out. With any luck, their absence will be short-lived.