Jenkins homers in AAA, hitting .411 in August

It’s worth noting that Minnesota’s top prospect Walker Jenkins is in the lineup for Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday night. It’s a bit unclear whether Buxton will require a trip to the injured list after exiting Tuesday’s game with rip hip discomfort. It’s been an ongoing issue for Buxton over the last few months. The Twins have an off-day before Friday’s series opener against the White Sox if they want to wait before making a decision. There should be additional clarity on his status at some point this week.

The Twins’ top prospect has been absolutely on fire in August, hitting .415/.493/.800 with seven home runs, 12 RBI, six steals, and a 12/10 K/BB ratio. He has 11 home runs, 16 steals, and a .931 OPS on the season and certainly looks ready for an MLB audition.

Jenkins is now batting .380/.436/.640 in August with three homers and three stolen bases in 12 games. The Twins would appear to have an opening on paper for a strong-side platoon outfielder that could play over Luke Keaschall, but Keaschall is hitting .345/.426/.569 in August and the Twins don’t appear interested in moving him back to the infield.

Jenkins has been producing consistently since the middle of July, but he’s now 13-for-35 (.371) in August with two home runs, four RBI, five runs scored, and three steals. If the Twins are really making a run at the postseason, they should probably give him a shot in the outfield.

The Twins’ top prospect is hitting .285/.386/.445 in 53 games at Triple-A this season with four home runs, 10 steals, and a 36/31 K/BB ratio. The Twins are still making a run at the playoffs, so they’re not yet going to turn things over to their prospects, but once the deadline passes for Jenkins to retain his rookie eligibility in 2027 (August 14th), we’d expect them to start thinking long and hard about calling him up.

The triple was also off Hunter Greene, who was making a rehab start at Triple-A, so that’s not a bad notch in the belt. Jenkins had been out since the beginning of May with a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder, so his simply playing a full game and looking healthy was a positive step. The Twins will not want to rush him, but there’s a chance he could get some MLB at-bats in the final month or so of the season.

The Twins’ top prospect has been out since the beginning of May with a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. The Twins are hoping that he can progress to live batting practice this week and then begin a rehab assignment next week. He would then likely return to games at Triple-A St. Paul, where he had a .250/.389/.386 slash line with two homers and five steals in 24 games.

Jenkins is going to miss at least a couple weeks, if not longer, after suffering a significant shoulder injury during a full-speed collision with the outfield wall at Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday. The 21-year-old, who was the fifth-overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, is one of the top prospects in the fantasy landscape and was likely to reach the majors this summer. This latest development throws a serious wrench into that timeline.

Jenkins, the Twins’ top prospect, entered the day hitting .250/.389/.386 with two homers and five steals in 24 games.

The 21-year-old now has three steals on the season, which is nice to see since he was battling a hamstring issue at the end of March. He’s slashing just .242/.405/.273, but his 6/8 K/BB ratio shows a clear understanding of the strike zone. He just hasn’t been able to drive the pitches when he does get good ones to hit. That should come in time, and he still has a good chance to be up with Minnesota this summer.