The Twins' Byron Buxton conundrum

• His batting average on the season fell to .199, which is the fourth-worst in baseball among qualifying players (ones that average 3.1 plate appearances per game).
• He's a .239 hitter for his career.

Between the lines: Buxton has always been prone to slumps at the plate, but in previous years he made up for it by being an incredible center fielder who could bail out pitchers with his long throwing range and circus catches.

Yes, but: His nagging knee injury has relegated him to playing designated hitter, so he's taking up a spot in the lineup that would otherwise go to a good hitter.

The intrigue: The Twins will have to consider benching him at some point, but they still have to pay him $75 million over the next five years, whether or not he's playing.

• They could also send him to the injured list in hopes his knee will get better, allowing him to play center field again.