Byron Buxton goes on injured list following 'difficult and emotional meeting'

HOUSTON — Once the Twins' medical staff received the results of Byron Buxton's MRI on Monday, "there wasn't much of a decision to be made," Rocco Baldelli said a day later. The evidence wasn't alarming, he said, but it was clear: Buxton is too hurt to play.

"I believe, and we believe as an organization, and I think Buck also knows the right thing for him to do is to take a period of time — hopefully not that long — to get himself in a better spot physically," Baldelli said. "We were able to avoid major injury, or something where we are talking about [missing] a month or the rest of the season. We're not talking about that, which is a good thing."

Buxton will spend the next 10 days on the injured list, the first time he's been off the roster this season despite seasonlong knee and hip pain that has required daily treatments to prepare him to play, and regular days where he couldn't. A right hip strain, aggravated by an awkward swing during Monday's loss to Texas, is the official reason for the IL stint, though Baldelli noted the MRI found more than one trouble spot.

"It's very tough news," the manager said, though he is optimistic that the extended break means Buxton is "probably, hopefully, going to be in a better spot when he comes off the IL than where he's been for about 4½ months. He's probably going to be feeling better."

The Twins delayed their flight to Houston after Monday's game while Buxton's condition was appraised, and the manager and head athletic trainer Michael Salazar had a "difficult and emotional" meeting with the outfielder, Baldelli said, before leaving without him.

"He understands," Baldelli said. "But his attachment to his teammates and his attachment to this team and playing … means a lot to him. It's not easy to not be here."

With Buxton gone, the Twins added catcher Caleb Hamilton, who has 11 home runs in 62 games at Class AAA St. Paul, to the roster.

Why a third catcher instead of a fifth outfielder? Three times in the past week, Baldelli has sent up a pinch hitter late in games for current catchers Gary Sanchez, who is batting .217, or Sandy Leon, who is hitting .160. Adding Hamilton "allows us to make some more moves and not have to worry about putting ourselves in a spot where we're short or don't want to make a move," Baldelli explained.

The Twins also moved outfielder Alex Kirilloff, out for the season after wrist surgery, to the 60-day injured list in order to add Tuesday's starting pitcher, Aaron Sanchez, to the roster. Lefthander Devin Smeltzer was returned to St. Paul.

Carlos Correa received a hero's welcome from Astros players and fans on Tuesday, his first game in the ballpark where he helped bring three World Series. There was a pregame news conference, a tribute video on the scoreboard and several noisy ovations for the seven-year Astros veteran.

But Correa chose not to make the day just about him. By arrangement with the Astros, the shortstop's personal charity invited Uvalde school shooting survivor Mayah Zamora to throw out the first pitch before the game. The Correa Family Foundation has raised money to build Zamora's family a new house, away from the neighborhood where the shooter, who killed 19 grade-school students and two teachers on May 22, lived.

"It's an important day for me, but I wanted to make it extra special for her," Correa said of Zamora, who spent 66 days in the hospital recuperating from wounds she received in the shooting. "After everything she went through, the battle she went through, and now she's here with us — we want to celebrate life and celebrate her life."