Buxton undergoes surgery on broken finger

After a year of bad news surrounding Byron Buxton, Twins fans could find a silver lining on Friday.

Baseball's top prospect is expected to be ready for Spring Training after undergoing surgery to repair a finger on his left hand that he dislocated and fractured in an Arizona Fall League game, Twins director of Minor League operations Brad Steil confirmed to MLB.com.

Buxton's AFL assignment followed a regular season that saw him play only 31 games across two levels. The 20-year-old outfielder suffered a sprained pisotriquetral joint in his left wrist while diving for a ball in Spring Training action in March, then re-injured the wrist during a head-first slide for Class A Advanced Fort Myers in early May.

Buxton returned to the Florida State League on July 6, but he sustained a concussion in his Double-A debut for New Britain on Aug. 13 and did not play again until arriving in Arizona.

None of the injuries should should hamper the five-tool prospect in the long term.

Buxton had been slated to play in Saturday night's AFL Fall Stars Game but was replaced by Twins No. 10 prospect Eddie Rosario. In 16 games with league-leading Salt River, the Georgia native batted .263 with two doubles, six RBIs, four walks and five stolen bases.

He took to Twitter on Tuesday with a vow to get healthy for 2015.

 

This has been a tough year but still blessed to play while I could. Gonna get healthy and come back at it next year. #determined #thankful

- Byron Buxton (@OfficialBuck103) October 29, 2014