Byron Buxton Avoids Injury Scare at World Baseball Classic

The Twins' superstar left Friday's win over Brazil early after getting hit by a pitch.

Mar 3, 2026; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Team USA outfielder Byron Buxton against the San Francisco Giants during a spring training game at Scottsdale Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Team USA played its first official game of this year's World Baseball Classic on Friday night against Brazil, and Byron Buxton left early after getting hit by a pitch. Fortunately for Twins fans, he seems to have avoided a significant injury.

Byron Buxton gets hit and takes his time with the trainers before heading to first base pic.twitter.com/4WH0UE2tVk

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 7, 2026

Buxton started in center field on Friday night, and he was hit by a pitch on his forearm in the fifth inning. He initially took his base and stayed in the game, scoring on a bases-clearing double. He was then pulled in favor of Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong to begin the sixth inning. The decision seems to have been a precautionary move.

"He got hit on the forearm. X-rays are fine. Just caught him in the meat of his forearm. I just felt 7-1 at the time, get [Crow-Armstrong] in there, get him off his feet and get him right," Team USA manager Mark DeRosa told the media after the game

Twins fans obviously think of the worst anytime Buxton exits a game early, but there's no reason to worry this time. He's coming off the healthiest season of his MLB career since 2017. Team USA will play its next game on Saturday night against Great Britain, so it will be worth monitoring if Buxton is back in the lineup.