Twins place OF Buxton, RHP Pineda on IL

The Minnesota Twins placed center fielder Byron Buxton and right-hander Michael Pineda on the 10-day injured list prior to Saturday night's game with the visiting Kansas City Royals. Buxton has a left shoulder subluxation; Pineda has a right triceps strain.

Buxton, 25, is batting .262 with 30 doubles, 10 homers, 46 RBIs, 48 runs and 14 steals in 82 games this season. Pineda, 30, is 7-5 with a 4.15 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 21 starts. He gave up one run on seven hits in six innings in his last appearance Thursday at Miami.

The Twins also reinstated first baseman C.J. Cron from the 10-day injured list and recalled right-hander Zack Littell and outfielder Jake Cave from Triple-A Rochester. Left-hander Lewis Thorpe was optioned to Rochester to make room for Cron. Cron, 29, is batting .263 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs in 83 games.

Littell, 23, is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 14 relief appearances. Cave, 26, is hitting .193 with two homers and nine RBIs in 35 games.

Thorpe, 23, went 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA in four games (one start). --Field Level Media