Buxton headed to DL with migraines
Center fielder to miss Puerto Rico Series; LaMarre takes his spot
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- After missing Tuesday's Puerto Rico Series opener with a migraine, the Twins placed center fielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday. He'll be eligible to come off the DL on April 25.
To take Buxton's spot, outfielder Ryan LaMarre, who joined the team as the 26th man for the series, was added to the roster.
"We don't have any reason to think this is an ongoing concern for us, so we'll just evaluate it as is and we'll learn more," Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said. "Coming into yesterday, he was in the lineup and we were ready to play him, but he got to the ballpark and it started to bother him. He was here until game time, but then we sent him back to the hotel."
Buxton began suffering a migraine early Tuesday, and he was sent back to the team hotel during the game to recover. But Buxton didn't feel much better on Wednesday and was out of the lineup again.
Manager Paul Molitor noted that Buxton has been plagued by migraines in the past, including missing time last year in July. He's still not sure what causes them, but they continue to be an issue for the burgeoning young star.
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"I have them very, very infrequently, but I can definitely sympathize with what he's going through," catcher Jason Castro said. "The tough thing is there's not much you can do for it. You have to just isolate yourself and hope they go away."
Injury updates
• Right-hander Phil Hughes remains a candidate to be activated from the 10-day DL on Sunday to start against the Rays. Right-hander Jake Odorizzi could also start on normal rest against his former club. Hughes has been out with a strained left oblique, but he's throwing a bullpen session on Thursday to get ready for the possible start. He's made two rehab starts with Class A Advanced Fort Myers, posting a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings.
• Right-hander Ervin Santana continues to progress with his throwing program, throwing from 90 feet on flat ground. Santana, who had surgery on his right middle finger in February, suffered a bit of a setback in early April, but he has started to ramp it up. There's still no timetable for his return, but if he stays on track, he could be back by mid-to-late May or early June.
No issues with Lindor
• Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor offered a preemptive apology in case he offended any Twins players for his celebration after his homer on Tuesday, but no Minnesota players or coaches took issue with his reaction to his memorable homer in front of his home fans. In fact, Molitor and Twins second baseman James Dozier thought it was a cool moment, and it never even crossed their minds to look at his celebration in a negative light.
"I think as a whole our game has kind of changed in what you might want to call acceptable showism," Molitor said. "I think it's good for the game. I think fans respond to it."
Said Dozier: "I love people showing emotion and getting excited. That's baseball for you. The more emotion you show and putting your heart and soul into it, I love it. I just wish ... we hit the homer."