Paul TostoBaseball players hardly ever get hurt so badly that an ambulance is driven onto the field. But it happened tonight in New Britain, Connecticut, to Byron Buxton, the Twins’ top prospect, the top prospect in all of baseball.
Buxton and another outfielder collided tonight going for the same ball.
Just before the collision. @RockCats Buxton going on backboard, ambulance on field. pic.twitter.com/5k6TH84WTI
— Scott Blanchette (@ScottBPhoto8) August 14, 2014
According to an MiLB.com report:
Making his Double-A debut with New Britain, Buxton was chasing a fly ball to right-center field when he collided with right fielder Mike Kvasnicka. Kvasnicka’s knee appeared to hit Buxton somewhere around his left shoulder.
The 20-year-old was down for approximately 10 minutes and did not appear to be moving. He was stabilized on a stretcher and taken off in an ambulance that was brought onto the warning track at New Britain Stadium. Kvasnicka was up and walking shortly after the collision, but Rock Cats broadcasters said he went with Buxton to the hospital.
Terry Ryan, the Twins GM was there to watch Buxton in his first game up from the low minors. Buxton had just come back from a wrist injury.
Happily, Hartford Courant report Dom Amore just tweeted:
Twins GM Terry Ryan: Byron Buxton has a concussion. He's now alert, under observation. Will go thru concussion protocol. No other injuries
— Dom Amore (@AmoreCourant) August 14, 2014
On MiLBTV broadcast, #MNTwins GM Terry Ryan said Buxton was unconscious for about 10 minutes. "That was very scary."
— Ash Marshall (@AshMarshallMLB) August 14, 2014
Still, the Twins know from Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Corey Koskie that concussions are not to be taken lightly. It’s another setback for Buxton. Let’s hope he bounces back. He’s a big piece of the Twins’ future.