In his third game back after a 39-game absence to a strained right hip, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton was hit on the left hand by a pitch from Cincinnati’s Tyler Mahle on Monday night and broke a bone in his pinkie finger.
“He’s beyond upset, and that’s what I would expect from him,” manager Rocco Baldelli said before the game on Tuesday.
You know, we let Rocco kind of stick to the managing thing and we just try to get on his nerves to let us play,” Buxton said on Saturday after his return to the lineup.
Currently third among outfielders in the American League All-Star voting, Buxton is batting .369 with 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 19 RBIs in 27 games with a 1.176 OPS.
“My guess is we will need to make a roster move,” manager Terry Francona said Tuesday.
Votto was already slated to rest in the finale of a two-game series at Minnesota, an afternoon start following a 12-inning contest on Monday night that was MLB’s longest game of the season at 5:16.
Votto and Reds manager David Bell were tossed in the first inning on Saturday at San Diego after a heated spat with home plate umpire Ryan Additon after Votto was called out on a checked swing.
Tyler Naquin went 4 for 4 with a three-run homer that broke a ninth-inning tie right after the ragged Cincinnati bullpen lost a five-run lead, and the Reds beat the Twins 10-7 to stop their five-game losing streak …