Twins officially bring Walker Jenkins up to bigs

Keaschall’s homer was his ninth, five of which have come this month. With one day to go, he’s hitting .326/.404/.558 in August.

The RBI came in the second after he beat out a potential double play grounder with runners on the corners and one out. He then stole second afterwards. He’s reached five times in two games for the Twins.

Buxton remains day-to-day with right hip discomfort, which may ultimately require offseason surgery, according to Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll. The arrival of top prospect Walker Jenkins, who is in center field and hitting ninth on Saturday afternoon after going 1-for-3 in his major-league debut on Friday, gives Minnesota the ability to carry Buxton on the active roster for at least a couple days with the hope that he’ll avoid another trip to the injured list. Clearly, he’ll have to manage the ongoing hip issue for the final month of the season, which is going to make things extremely challenging for fantasy managers.

Jenkins scalded a 102.3 mph single to right field in the fourth inning after flying out to deep center field in his first at-bat. He also drew a walk in the sixth, reaching safely in two of his four plate appearances. The 21-year-old top prospect, who was selected fifth overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, boasts a plethora of fantasy-relevant skills and projects as an immediate five-category contributor heading into the final month of the season, especially with Byron Buxton battling a lingering hip issue. He slashed an impressive .321/.417/.559 with 14 homers and 17 steals in 324 plate appearances at the Triple-A level earlier this season. Jenkins has missed time with various injuries, including a shoulder issue earlier this year, since being drafted. However, he’s the type of impact talent that offers significant fantasy upside. He should be rostered in all leagues until further notice.

Jenkins, 21, is expected to be in the Twins’ lineup for Friday’s series opener against the White Sox. The fifth overall selection from the 2023 draft class has slashed an impressive .308/.407/.532 with 12 homers, 28 RBI, 17 stolen bases and a 48/42 K/BB ratio over 307 plate appearances in 69 games at Triple-A St. Paul this season. He has all of the tools to make an immediate impact from a fantasy perspective.

Jenkins is now hitting .411/.488/.795 in August with eight home runs, 16 runs scored, 13 RBI, and seven steals. He needs to be up in the big leagues at this point. He has little left to prove in Triple-A.

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.

Twins manager Derek Shelton told reporters Keaschall could get a more extended look atop the lineup, especially against left-handed starters, for the remainder of the season. The 24-year-old former top prospect got off to an ice-cold start at the plate, but has hit .290 (79-for-272) with six homers and seven steals in 86 games since the start of May. A permanent move atop Minnesota’s lineup would be a significant boost to his long-term fantasy value.