The Minnesota Twins will be without their best athlete, fastest base runner, best defensive player, and most exciting player to watch for the rest of the season.
The team placed Byron Buxton on the 60-day injured list, with the oft-injured outfielder expected to be out of action for five to six months following labrum surgery, manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday.
Buxton had left labrum surgery Tuesday in California, ending his season and leaving the American League Central leaders without their best defensive player for the rest of the pennant race.
The Twins made the move on Tuesday before a three-game series against Washington. They took a five-game lead over Cleveland into the night.
Buxton initially was placed on the injured list Aug. 1 but was activated when rosters expanded on Sept. 1, serving as a defensive replacement and a pinch runner.
The shoulder also gave him problems during a late-August rehab assignment, which he had to stop after he felt pain in the shoulder during batting practice.
Buxton, who finished the season hitting .262 with 10 homers, 30 doubles, four triples, 46 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 87 games, first injured the shoulder after crashing into the outfield wall in Miami.
Also Tuesday, the Twins activated pitcher Kyle Gibson from the 10-day IL. Gibson, who last pitched on Aug. 30, has been dealing with a digestive tract disease, ulcerative colitis. He is scheduled to start on Thursday.
