Until 2025, Twins fans had spent the better part of a decade wondering what might happen if Byron Buxton could ever stay healthy for an entire season.
The talent was obvious. The production often followed. But the various ailments were so frustrating.
His greatness is such, though, that it was worth patience and a certain level of bargaining. Even if he could stay healthy for half or two-thirds of the Twins’ games, it would be enough to help them win.
Some players are just like that. J.J. McCarthy is not.
McCarthy, the young Vikings quarterback who won’t be young forever, has now had his career interrupted four times by injuries suffered while playing.
His knee injury in the preseason last year kept him out his entire rookie campaign, which at least kept him from picking up a different injury.
An ankle injury this year cost him five games. Concussion symptoms cost him another. And now he has a hand injury that knocked him out of half of the Vikings’ 16-13 win over the New York Giants on Dec. 21 and could end his season pending more testing.
McCarthy’s last 2½ games were considerably better than his first six, but all of it must be considered. He has played in nine games, true to his self-described alter ego, while being unavailable for 23 others during the last two regular seasons. When he has played, he ranks 31st out of 32 passers in Total QBR.
