Twins’ Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton exit game after scary collision

The Minnesota Twins’ already traumatizing series finale at Camden Yards burst into a frightening moment on Thursday afternoon when shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder Byron Buxton collided on a shallow fly ball in the bottom of the third inning. When the incident unfolded, the two franchise cornerstones were converging on a popup hit by the Orioles' Cedric Mullins. Buxton made the catch, and their momentum carried them into each other — Buxton’s front into Correa’s back.The game was stopped as trainers ran onto the field, and both players lay motionless for several minutes.After the collision, Correa was down on the field for several minutes and walked gingerly off the field with a trainer. Buxton, his equilibrium rattled but able to regain himself, remained in the game and played the bottom of the inning. He was then swapped out in the top of the fourth for Ty France. The collision led to major changes to the Twins’ defensive configuration: Jonah Bride came into the game to play first, Kody Clemens moved to second, Brooks Lee moved to shortstop, and Willi Castro moved to an outfield position. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. took over in center field for Buxton to finish a nearly complete overhaul of the defensive alignment in Minnesota.The collision had repercussions beyond the field, as both players were entered into Major League Baseball's concussion protocol not long after the game ended. The Twins have not provided a timetable for either recovery, and given their respective injury histories, this adds a bit of uncertainty to their health status moving forward.Ironically, the collision came just moments after Buxton hit a home run in the top of the third — his 143rd career homer, tying him with franchise legend Joe Mauer for 15th on the Twins' all-time list. It was part of a back-to-back homer display with DaShawn Keirsey Jr., putting Minnesota up 3-0 at the time.Also Read: Twins star Carlos Correa is back with a 458-foot homer that is his longest since 2022The celebration was short-lived, however, as Buxton and Correa were floored by the crash. Their absence has been palpably felt in the Twins’ lineup and defense, as each has been valuable not just for his athleticism but also his leadership.In the meantime, the Twins can do nothing more than wish for good news about their two stars, Correa and Buxton, and dream of them being back at full strength sooner rather than later.