Twins No. 2 Prospect Suffers Injury Setback

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Twins No. 2 Prospect Suffers Injury Setback

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Andrew Jamieson | Last updated Jun 17, 2026 11:32 AM ET

Injuries have been a common occurrence for several Minnesota Twins top prospects this season.

Minnesota's No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 11 overall prospect, outfielder Walker Jenkins, began a rehab assignment on Saturday after missing more than a month with a left shoulder sprain. Fortunately, he appears close to returning to Triple-A St. Paul after slugging two home runs and hitting .600 in two games across Single-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids.

The Twins' No. 4 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 51 overall prospect, outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, suffered a UCL tear in his left thumb and is out indefinitely. Before the injury, Rodriguez looked poised for a call-up, hitting six home runs with a .923 OPS in 25 games at Triple-A St. Paul.

Now, Minnesota's No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 36 overall prospect, Kaelen Culpepper, has landed on the injured list.

The 23-year-old shortstop was placed on the seven-day Triple-A injured list Tuesday with a left hip strain. Culpepper exited Saturday's game early for Triple-A St. Paul due to what the Twins described as glute tightness. The injury initially appeared to be a day-to-day issue.

Twins placed prospect Kaelen Culpepper on the Triple-A injured list with a left hip strain.

So the call-up talk will have to be put on hold for now.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) June 16, 2026

The setback comes as Culpepper appeared to be on the verge of a major league call-up. Minnesota's first-round pick in 2024 was slashing .273/.377/.498 with 14 home runs, 43 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases before the injury.

It also comes at a time when Culpepper was heating up at the plate. In ten games this month, he is slashing .368/.467/.632 with two home runs, six RBIs, and three stolen bases. His plate discipline has been especially impressive, as he has drawn six walks while striking out just twice.

Kaelen Culpepper so far in June:

.368 AVG | 5 XBH | 6 RBI | .467 OBP#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/1487mfE1AX
— Milb Central (@milb_central) June 16, 2026

Shortstop has been an unstable position for the Twins since the team traded Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros at last year's trade deadline. Opening Day shortstop Brooks Lee shifted to third base after Royce Lewis was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul following a .163 batting average through May. Since being recalled, Lewis has looked much better, hitting .324 in 10 games while transitioning to the right side of the infield.

That has left veterans Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler handling shortstop duties for the time being. Gray owns a .244 batting average and .658 OPS, but his -4 Outs Above Average is concerning defensively. Kreidler has hit .235 with a .774 OPS, though he does not appear to be the organization's long-term answer at the position.

Minnesota hopes Culpepper can become that player. For now, however, his focus remains on getting healthy before potentially making the jump to the major leagues.

Minnesota (35-40) has an off day Wednesday before looking to complete a sweep of the Texas Rangers on Thursday at 2:35 ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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