MILWAUKEE — The Twins placed Carlos Correa on the 7-day concussion injured list on Friday, while they continue to wait on the status of Byron Buxton, who remains on the active roster but still in MLB’s concussion protocol.
Correa collided with Buxton during the third inning of the Twins’ 4-0 win over the Orioles on Thursday, the club’s 11th straight win. Correa was immediately removed from the game, while Buxton was removed in the fourth. Both players entered concussion protocol on Thursday.
“Ultimately, some of the tests that [Correa] actually went through today went fine and some didn’t,” said manager Rocco Baldelli. “As soon as something doesn’t, that’s it. There is nothing else to really discuss. We get him basically into the recovery phase as opposed to us testing him and seeing if he can play. We put the playing aside and we just get him back to full strength.”
Buxton was not in the starting lineup for Friday’s series opener against Milwaukee, with DaShawn Keirsey Jr. manning center field. Brooks Lee took Correa’s spot at shortstop on Friday and likely will serve as the primary shortstop during Correa’s absence.
The Twins promoted Ryan Fitzgerald from Triple-A St. Paul to occupy Correa’s roster spot. Fitzgerald, 30, has never appeared in the big leagues. He began his pro career with Gary (Ind.) of the independent American Association in 2017, and his Minor League travels have included stops in three organizations and 378 games in Triple-A. He’s slashing .328/.426/.528 in 35 games with St. Paul this year. To make room on the 40-man roster for Fitzgerald, reliever Michael Tonkin was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
The exact nature and severity of Correa’s symptoms were not made public Friday. He headed home from Baltimore rather than with the team to Milwaukee, but initially, Fitzgerald was only added as a taxi squad player. Baldelli said about three hours before game time that Correa would be officially shelved.
Buxton, meanwhile, traveled with the team and was undergoing evaluation prior to the game. A club official said Buxton “is still being evaluated daily.” The Twins have three days from when Buxton was placed in concussion protocol to activate or place him on the injured list.
Fitzgerald played extensively in Spring Training, giving the team a chance to get a good look at him, and he made a positive impression.
Correa has raised his batting average from .207 to .236 over his last eight games, and during Minnesota’s 11-game winning streak, he has batted .313 (10-for-32) with a home run and four RBIs. Buxton has been at least arguably the Twins’ best player in 2025, with a .261/.312/.522 line, 10 home runs and eight steals.
Elsewhere in Twins injury news, Ty France and Harrison Bader both showed improvement on Friday. France, who is dealing with a bruised left foot, said he felt better Friday than before he aggravated the injury on Wednesday. He was in the starting lineup. Bader was held out from starting on Friday as he recovers from some tightness in his left groin, but Baldelli said that he has sprinted and is available to play off the bench.
