Twins lose another prospect to injury

The Minnesota Twins' prospect pipeline took another hit Sunday.

In St. Paul's loss to the Iowa Cubs, 21-year-old outfielder Walker Jenkins left the game with an apparent injury. He is the 11th-best prospect in Major League Baseball, per MLB.com.

In tracking down a fly to center field by Cubs prospect Jonathon Long, Jenkins smashed into the wall and hit the ground hard. According to MLB.com’s Matthew Leach, he came up clutching his left shoulder (non-throwing arm); Jenkins was removed from the game.  

In his first full season at Triple-A after leapfrogging his way through four levels in the Twins' system (Rookie ball to Triple-A), Jenkins has hit .256 with a .785 OPS and two home runs in 25 games. 

Walker Jenkins is the second Twins prospect to be injured

In a preseason review of the minor league systems of MLB teams, the Twins had the ninth-best farm system. Jenkins and outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez topped the list. The Twins received a downgrade in their ranking after having the second-best farm system at midseason in 2025. 

Rodriguez, the Twins' fourth-best prospect and 64th in MLB, is also injured. The 23-year-old suffered a muscle strain in his left thumb in Friday’s 6-5 loss to the Cubs. 

Having Jenkins and Rodriguez on the shelf is not ideal for the Twins, who need solid play from prospects to be competitive. In a poll of baseball executives by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, an unnamed American League executive said the Minnesota farm system will “supplement” the roster. 

“Despite being in the middle of a rebuild, their younger players have been producing offensively, hitting for power,” an  AL executive said to Feinsand. “They have frontline starters who have been impressive, with the potential to supplement the roster as the season progresses from their farm system.”

In the absence of starter Joe Ryan (elbow) for an undetermined period, left-hander Kendry Rojas (No. 10 prospect) could pick up the slack.