The Minnesota Twins placed center fielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday due to a right hip strain.
The move sidelines Buxton from the upcoming MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia, where he had been voted as a starter for the first time.
Buxton aggravated the lingering hip injury during the first inning of Sunday's 6-1 win against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
After hitting an infield single, he was tagged out on a stolen base attempt and left the game due to discomfort.
He had previously missed four consecutive games with a right hip impingement before returning briefly on Saturday.
Buxton said he prioritized his long-term availability over playing through the pain.
"It's just one of those things where I don't want to set myself back farther," Buxton said.
"I don't want to put the team in a bad spot by me trying to go out there and be Superman by trying to play one game and I end up missing a month."
Team Prioritizes Extended Rest
Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll explained that the team wanted to prevent Buxton from enduring an ongoing cycle of setbacks.
"It's not as bad as it was, but it's still back," Zoll said. "We're just thinking about the idea of getting caught in this repeated cycle.
The best thing at this point is probably to give it clear downtime to let it fully resolve itself."
Manager Derek Shelton held extensive discussions with Buxton about the roster move, emphasizing the player's commitment to the franchise.
"The greatest strength of Byron Buxton is how much he is a team-first person," Shelton said.
"When we started to talk about where his body was at, where we're at in the schedule, and how he felt, ultimately we came to the decision that was the best."
The IL stint ensures Buxton receives 12 days of recovery while missing only a six-game homestand.
Currently, Minnesota holds a 45-47 record and sits three games out of first place in the AL Central.
In other team health updates, starting pitcher Bailey Ober threw a bullpen session on Tuesday following right elbow inflammation.
Prospect Kaelen Culpepper returned to the minor league seven-day injured list after a recurrence of glute soreness.
"Hopefully that it's certainly more on the minor side than not, but we'll get a better sense in the days to come of an exact timeline," Zoll said.
