Walker Jenkins and Other Twins Top Prospects Injury Return Timelines

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Abby Haling/Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Soto), Rob Thompson / St. Paul Saints (Rodriguez), William Parmeter (Keaschall), Ed Bailey/ Wichita Wind Surge (Jenkins)

In a season that began with high hopes for Minnesota’s top prospects, injuries have unfortunately tempered the excitement. It has become an unfortunate rite of passage for the Twins' top prospects to have their professional careers impacted by injury, including Royce Lewis, Byron Buxton, and Alex Kirilloff. The list is seemingly endless. In 2025, Twins Daily’s four highest-ranked prospects have all been injured. While each injury carries its own timeline and uncertainty, the Twins remain optimistic in the long term about the impact these players can bring once healthy.

Walker Jenkins, OF
Injury: Left ankle sprain
Jenkins opened camp and quickly suffered a sprained left ankle that slowed his preparation, causing him to miss a significant chunk of Grapefruit League action. Despite the early setback, Jenkins returned in time for the season opener at Double-A Wichita and was activated onto the roster, only to feel renewed stiffness after two games and eight plate appearances. The discomfort forced the 20-year-old outfielder back onto the injured list on April 9, where he received a cortisone injection to accelerate healing and reduce inflammation. 

A Twins spokesperson has since indicated that Jenkins will likely remain out through May, a frustrating twist for a player who entered 2025 as one of baseball’s top 10 overall prospects. With his blend of power, speed, and advanced feel at the plate, the Twins are in no hurry to push Jenkins back prematurely, preferring a fully healthy return that preserves his long-term development.
Expected Return: Early-to-mid June

Emmanuel Rodríguez, OF
Injury: Left thumb strain
Rodríguez has been a bright spot on the farm system charts since his 2023 debut, boasting the team’s second-highest ranked prospect and ranking No. 34 overall in MLB Pipeline. However, durability has raised concerns: Rodríguez tore a ligament in his right thumb, leading to surgery, and then saw his 2024 campaign limited to just 47 games due to lingering soreness. 

Although his spring ankle tweak proved minor and did not affect his Triple-A workload initially, Rodríguez suffered a left thumb strain on April 23 sliding into second base. Luckily, it was not the same thumb on which he had surgery last year. The Twins have listed him as day-to-day, with an optimistic timeline pointing toward an early-to-mid May return. Yet, given his thumb history, the organization is monitoring his rehab cautiously to avoid a repeat of last year’s setbacks. 
Expected return: Rodriguez returned to play over the weekend

Luke Keaschall, IF
Injury: Right forearm fracture
The 22-year-old infielder Luke Keaschall lit up the majors with an electrifying debut, slashing .368/.538/.526 (1.065) over his first seven games, including three doubles and five stolen bases. Drafted in the second round of 2023, Keaschall entered April as a catalyst for what many hoped would be a revival of the Twins’ offense. That momentum came to an abrupt halt on April 25, when a Kyle Hendricks fastball struck Keaschall’s right forearm, resulting in a non-displaced fracture. 

The injury is particularly concerning as it affects the same arm that underwent Tommy John surgery last August, extending the expected recovery period to at least two months. Minnesota placed Keaschall on the 10-day injured list, but he’s a candidate to move to the 60-day IL if the Twins need a roster spot. Minnesota hopes Keaschall can get healthy and return to the lineup in the second half to provide a renewed spark for the team. 
Expected return: Early July

Charlee Soto, RHP
Injury: Right triceps soreness
Soto, the 19-year-old right-handed pitcher, began the season with a series of dominant starts for Cedar Rapids. Through his first 13 innings, he allowed just two earned runs while improving his strikeout rate by nearly two percentage points over his 2024 finish, slashing his walk rate by 2.5%. 

Triceps soreness in his right arm prompted the organization to shut him down and place him on the seven-day injured list for rest and recovery. His timeline remains the most fluid of this quartet because the Twins need to see how his body reacts from time off. When he does return, the Twins’ development staff will manage his innings carefully throughout the remainder of 2025.
Expected Return: TBD

Injuries are an unwelcome challenge. As Minnesota navigates the ebb and flow of its prospect development, keeping Jenkins, Rodríguez, Keaschall, and Soto on track (albeit on individualized timelines) will be critical to ensuring the farm system’s potential translates into major league success. Once these key pieces are back on the field, the Twins’ future outlook will brighten considerably.

Which player will return to the field first? Why do the team’s top prospects continue to get injured? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

 

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[tony&rodney]

Emmanuel has looked rusty thus far for St. Paul. He is pulling off the ball at the plate and is more tentative than in previous years in the outfield. All the time on the sidelines may have set him back or he might just need a week or two of warm weather.

[LambchoP]

The only prospect that was having a good season and was a potential help to the big league club was Keaschal. He looked amazing in his short debut and was really fun to watch. One pitch ended all that. Who knows when we'll see him again now. I'm afraid both Jenkins and Rodriguez are going to be just like Buxton. Pretty productive when healthy, but never on the field for more than half a season, which will greatly hurt both of their developments...

[gman]

I suggest Keaschall wears batting armor the next time he plays. At least for the rest of this year. Jenkins may have to DH for a few months or at least until his ankle is fully healed. Rodriguez is always hurt. He may be another player who needs to rotate between the outfield and DH. 

 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

What? No Miranda? (Insert sarcasm here)

[bean5302]

5 minutes ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

What? No Miranda? (Insert sarcasm here)

I know you're secretly losing sleep at night, looking up at your Jose Miranda poster on the ceiling and silently crying soooo...

Hand strains generally take a long time. I'd guess no rehab assignment until at least a couple weeks, but it could be longer.

[madtowntwin]

In regard to Keaschall - I sort of get the injury cautiousness in that it involves the same arm, but not really...Bone and ligament are completely different in terms of the rehab / healing process. The fracture needs rest (splint) and stimulation - Given his age and athleticism the arm should heal fast and furious. It should have no impact in terms of his ligament damage and the TJ surgery. Training staff should be able to manage healing of the bone and maintaining strength / flexibility to the ligament. In terms of being injury prone - Come on...WAY early for that label. The guy was hit by a pitch for pity's sake....Win Twins!!

[thelanges5]

Not a prospect but McCusker could provide some RH corner OF pop with the Twins. 

[Chris Hove]

Man, our top two prospects can't stay healthy. Rodriguez has struggled in Triple-A, and the Twins have been very patient. The Keaschall injury sucks, as he provided good speed and a great approach at the plate so far. Imagine a season where we don't have our top two prospects hurt.

[madtowntwin]

In regard to Soto's Tricep Tenderness....Much less concerning than the dreaded forearm tightness or soreness. He's literally a boy who throws like a man in that his musculature, ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissue are developing tolerance to the strain of throwing consitently in the  upper 90s. It's most likely a tendonitis and given his physicality should heal without incident while working with training staff. Win Twins!!

[NYCTK]

38 minutes ago, Twinsfan2121 said:

Man, our top two prospects can't stay healthy. Rodriguez has struggled in Triple-A, and the Twins have been very patient. The Keaschall injury sucks, as he provided good speed and a great approach at the plate so far. Imagine a season where we don't have our top two prospects hurt.

Rodriguez is just such a fascinating prospect. A strikeout rate north of 30% and a walk rate around 20%?

I just cannot imagine that approach at the plate working in the major leagues. It sounds like an overly passive approach akin to Julien but I, A) would love to be proven wrong or B) see him develop his approach as he matures. 

But either way, the Twins were right not to listen to the fans here and throw him into Bader's role this season. 

[Guest]

Just shut every one of them down, encase in shrink-wrap, and unwrap in a couple years when they might feel like playing....

[Fire Dan Gladden]

3 hours ago, bean5302 said:

I know you're secretly losing sleep at night, looking up at your Jose Miranda poster on the ceiling and silently crying soooo...
 

Don't tell anyone...

[nicksaviking]

Getting a cortisone shot and missing two months sounds more than just an ankle sprain..........

[twinstalker]

5 hours ago, LambchoP said:

The only prospect that was having a good season and was a potential help to the big league club was Keaschal. He looked amazing in his short debut and was really fun to watch. One pitch ended all that. Who knows when we'll see him again now. I'm afraid both Jenkins and Rodriguez are going to be just like Buxton. Pretty productive when healthy, but never on the field for more than half a season, which will greatly hurt both of their developments...

Why do you feel Rodriguez is going to be productive?  You and I could probably strike him out.  Do you really think MLB pitchers won't K him at a rate that's sets new records?  I hope that's not true, but I think it's closer than him being Buxton-like.

[FlyingFinn]

Dason Hill left his last game with an injury. Only minor?????

[h2oface]

Amazing how once injured, they injure something else before they can even return. Something is terribly wrong in this organization. Every year. Top prospects. 

[Einstein]

Any Payton Eeles update? 

[Trov]

Jenkins has had a ton of injuries in his career.  The fact that an ankle sprain will take 2 full months from him is concerning to his ability to stay healthy and return from those injuries.  It clearly must have been a serious sprain and I know they can linger, but he has had several other injuries in his minor league career.  Might be another of the well if he can only stay healthy type guy for us and we keep wishing for health only to miss months of a season with brief moments of hot stretches. 

[saviking]

Only our best get hurt. It's so much more fun that way.

[Fred]

On 5/5/2025 at 10:11 AM, LambchoP said:

The only prospect that was having a good season and was a potential help to the big league club was Keaschal. He looked amazing in his short debut and was really fun to watch. One pitch ended all that. Who knows when we'll see him again now. I'm afraid both Jenkins and Rodriguez are going to be just like Buxton. Pretty productive when healthy, but never on the field for more than half a season, which will greatly hurt both of their developments...

Buxton has turned himself into a human pincushion. Somewhere there's a voodoo doll thinking that Buxton is doing it wrong. But, it seems to be working (psychosomatic?). Whatever, I still hold my breath when he attempts a steal, and I still call him a China Doll (mostly because my Daughter might be his biggest fan). Just what the Twins need, two more. What did Bud Grant call the most important ability...durability.