Byron Buxton might have dodged a bullet when the MRI exam taken on his right hip came back negative on Tuesday, but the Twins all-star center fielder didn’t dodge a potential trip to the injured list.

Buxton, who pulled himself from Monday’s 8-3 victory over Kansas City, is not going to play in Wednesday’s series finale against the Royals and is likely to miss at least a few more games.

The Twins were scheduled to leave for a four-game series against the Rangers in Texas after Wednesday afternoon’s game.

“There was some good news on the MRI,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Symptomatically, though, I’d say he could feel better. There’s still some things that we have to line up and some decisions we have to make.”

It stands to reason the Twins will be cautious with their center fielder, who has a long injury that includes a 2022 hip injury that forced him to miss the last five weeks of the season. Last year, he was limited to designated hitting but still played only 85 games because of rib, hamstring and knee injuries.

He has played more than 60 games in center field this season, and the Twins want him back there as they chase a second-straight postseason appearance.

Asked if the Twins would have to make a decision on whether to put him on the injured list before Thursday’s game at Texas, Baldelli said it was going to depend on when head athletic trainer Nick Paparest makes a final call after talking to Buxton and team doctors.

“We want to do what’s best for him and for the team looking forward, not just this week or the next three or four or five days,” Baldelli said. “So, we’re going to have to really see how he’s doing and make some final decisions as to whether we’re going to get him back out there on the field soon, or if he’s going to be out for a little while. I wouldn’t say a long while, but a little while.”