Byron Buxton’s foot is messed up

In his rehab assignment, Byron Buxton whacked a foul ball off his toe. Early reports were encouraging. The latest ones, less so.

Per Rhett Bollinger, Paul Molitor stated, “It’s a little disappointing, and it explains his inability to get back on the field down there in Florida.”

No, Paul. Don’t go with that. Don’t hint, for a second, that you’re dismissing workplace injuries. Even if that’s not close to what you mean, you’re paid money to be very good at explaining stuff to the media. And I just can’t handle that “big boys suck it up” crapola right now.

“If it’s a significant fracture, you’re talking four to six weeks, but I don’t think that’s the case here,” Molitor said. “We’re hopeful somehow it becomes tolerable in a more reasonable timeframe. The next five days probably should give us an indication of progress.”

Oh, good gravy.

The Twins’ fortunes this year were already precarious with their most consistent starting pitcher, Ervin Santana, injured. For longer than originally projected, as will surprise no Twins fan.

Losing Buxton, the best defensive baseball outfielder currently alive, stings like a mf-er.

And LIKE THIS! We all feared he might get hurt smashing into an outfield wall, younglings think they’re immortal. (For the record: we Olds do, too, but we’re vastly less sure of it.)

Nope, it wasn’t Buxton thrilling and terrifying us all with one of his dazzling catches close to a wall of, well, WALL. It was a ball he knocked off his foot. Same s**t that can happen to anybody, at any level. That’s how stuff goes, it’s totally random.

The Twins will respond with backups Ryan LaMarre and Robbie Grossman, both of whom try hard. As best they can, I imagine. They aren’t as good as Buxton, though. He is crazy skilled at catching baseballs, and if he’s out longer than a few days, it will hurt the 2018 Twins.