Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa and outfielder Byron Buxton exited Thursday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles (GameTracker) after colliding during the bottom of the third inning. The two were each tracking a Cedric Mullins fly ball, with Correa keeping his back to the outfield and Buxton coming in from center. Buxton was able to snag the ball before making contact. Both went down after appearing to knock heads. Correa left immediately and Buxton initially stayed in the game before departing.
Both players are now in concussion protocol, the team announced.
Here’s a look at the play in question:
Correa, 30, came into play on Thursday in the midst of a disappointing season. Over his first 40 games, he hit .238/.276/.333 (70 OPS+) with two home runs and 21 more strikeouts than walks. Correa recorded multiple hits in two of his last three games, providing some hope that he was in the process of correcting his course.
Buxton, 31, has been one of the most productive players on the Twins roster. Through his first 40 games, he’s batted .258/.310/.503 (124 OPS+) while providing his usual excellent defense in center field. Buxton had lifted his 10th home run of the season an inning prior to the collision.
It’s too soon to know whether Correa or Buxton’s availability will be impacted heading forward. The Twins are already without a few key players: rookie infielder Luke Keaschall has been on the injured list with a fractured forearm he suffered in just his seventh big-league game and outfielder Matt Wallner has been sidelined for a month by a strained hamstring.
Nevertheless, the Twins entered Thursday with a 23-20 record, the byproduct of a 10-game winning streak that already includes five victories against the Orioles. Minnesota’s hot tear has helped atone for a putrid 4-11 start to the year.
