Twins injury updates: Byron Buxton testing knee, Justin Topa gets injection

Byron Buxton apparently will not return to the Twins for the Tuesday-Thursday series against the New York Yankees, but he will reportedly test out his sore right knee on the basepaths Tuesday afternoon at Target Field in Minneapolis.

It was reported Monday that there was a chance Buxton could come off the injured list Tuesday, but Dan Hayes of The Athletic says Buxton will test his ailing knee on Tuesday before the Twins play the Yankees and if all goes well he'll likely head to Triple-A St. Paul for some rehab games.

Byron Buxton will test out his knee today in front of the team. If all goes well, he’ll play in some rehab games before returning. #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) May 14, 2024

Meanwhile, Justin Topa, the right-handed reliever the Twins acquired in the Jorge Polanco trade during the offseason, appears to be nowhere near making his debut in the Minnesota bullpen.

According to team reporters, Topa has his left knee in a brace and he's on crutches dealing with a partially torn patellar tendon.

While he could've opted for surgery, he receieved a platelet-rich plasma injection and will be immobilized for about another week before testing things out. The good news is that if the injection works, he could pitch for the Twins at some point this season.

Justin Topa’s left knee is immobilized and he’s on crutches. He said the MRI revealed a 25% tear to the patellar tendon. He got a PRP injection instead of surgery after a second opinion and said he’s immobilized for another week, after which he’ll try to ramp back up.
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) May 14, 2024