MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins center fielder Byron Buxton was removed from Wednesday's 11-1 win over the White Sox in the seventh inning after injuring his left hand on a swing. The Twins are hopeful it's a minor injury, but he'll be reevaluated Thursday morning.
Buxton was hurt swinging at a pitch in the sixth, as his hand came off the bat on the swing, causing him discomfort. He still singled into center and played defense the next inning, but was lifted for pinch-hitter Zack Granite in the seventh. Granite remained in the game and took over in center.
"He had a little bit of a funny swing when his hand slipped off," manager Paul Molitor said. "Hopefully it's nothing. Given the score, I wanted to get him out of there before there was anything further in that game."
Buxton, 23, has been hot recently, hitting .324/.354/.619 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in his past 29 games. With his defense and speed, the Twins can't afford to lose him for an extended period. He leads the team with 4.3 Wins Above Replacement, according to baseball-reference.com.
Molitor said the initial tests showed it wasn't serious, but they'll know more before Thursday's series finale.
"He got checked out, and the guys are optimistic they won't find anything in the morning," Molitor said. "But he's still going to get checked out."