Twins Top Prospect Walker Jenkins Still Weeks Away From Returning

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge

Minnesota Twins fans have grown all too familiar with the phrase "if he can stay healthy." From Byron Buxton to Royce Lewis, the organization's top prospects often find their ascent to the majors hindered by injuries. Now, the latest to join this unfortunate list is Walker Jenkins, the Twins' top prospect and the No. 6 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Jenkins' 2025 season has been marred by a left high ankle sprain sustained early in the year. He suffered an ankle injury during spring training but was on track for the start of the season. After playing just two games for Double-A Wichita, he experienced renewed stiffness in the same ankle, leading to his placement on the injured list on April 9. Despite initial hopes for a swift recovery, the injury lingered, necessitating a cortisone injection in late April to alleviate persistent inflammation.

Many Twins fans have been anxiously awaiting word on when Jenkins would return to the field. Since he isn’t on the big-league roster, updates on his injury status are hard to come by. The team is less likely to provide recovery details because Jenkins is recovering at the team’s facility in Fort Myers, and the decision-makers at Target Field don’t have daily visibility into his condition even with the internal reports being provided. 

Twins General Manager Jeremy Zoll provided an update on Jenkins' condition during an appearance on Sirius XM’s MLB Network "Front Office" radio show, stating: “I think we finally flushed out all the inflammation and all the soreness,” Zoll said. “He’s been ramping up his activity. … We’re optimistic that he’ll be on the field within the next few weeks.”

Twins president Derek Falvey was on Inside Twins on Sunday and was also asked about Jenkins. “High ankles are tricky…I think that’s the tougher part,” he said. “Sometimes people think a broken ankle is better than a high ankle sprain in certain situations. Mostly because you don’t have a perfect sense of timeline and how a guy is feeling coming back.”

Falvey went on to say, “He continues to track well and progress well. We don’t have a specific date for his return but ultimately we know he is going to be fine once he gets back here soon. We just need to make sure we get it all the way cleared out.”

Given the nature of high ankle sprains, which can be particularly troublesome for athletes, the Twins are understandably cautious. Jenkins is not expected to return to minor league action until mid-June at the earliest. This approach aligns with the team's handling of his previous injuries. 

In his first professional season in 2024, Jenkins missed two months due to a hamstring injury but still managed to play 82 games across four levels, posting a .282/.394/.439 (.833) slash line with 32 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases. To maximize his at-bats while minimizing physical strain, he often served as the designated hitter, with only 37 starts made in the outfield.

Looking ahead, the Twins are likely to continue this cautious approach. If Jenkins returns to full health in the second half of the season, he could be a candidate for the Arizona Fall League, providing him with additional at-bats and development opportunities. However, this is putting the cart way before the horse, because his participation will heavily depend on his health status.

The Twins' history with top prospects and injuries is well-documented. Royce Lewis has endured two ACL surgeries and multiple muscle strains, limiting him to just 152 games in his first three seasons. Byron Buxton, despite his immense talent, has played more than 100 games in a season only twice in his decade-long career, often sidelined by various injuries. Alex Kirilloff, once a promising hitter, retired at 26 after persistent wrist, shoulder, and back issues took a toll on his physical and mental well-being. The list could go on and on. 

This pattern underscores the challenges the Twins face in developing and maintaining the health of their top talents. For Jenkins, the hope is that with careful management and a bit of luck, he can break this cycle and fulfill his potential as a cornerstone player for the franchise.

As the Twins continue to navigate the complexities of player development and health management, the organization and its fans remain hopeful that Jenkins' journey will be one of resilience and success rather than another chapter in the team's injury-laden history.

How many games will Jenkins play this season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

 

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[Mike Sixel]

Two lost years already. He could be in AAA right now if he'd been healthy the last two years, but at least AA and getting close to AAA. If he is finally healthy, and productive, he'll top out at AAA this year if everything goes great, but I'm guessing he's in AA all year and maybe plays in the AAA playoffs (if there are any for the Saints). 

The questions are: can he stay healthy? If he does, will the Twins aggressively promote him if he's great?

[Patzky]

Grateful to hear some news, I think he's the guy we have all been waiting to hear about. Thanks.

[Trov]

Hopefully he can put these injuries behind him, but sadly he will most likely fall in the, well if he can just stay healthy pile as most of our top guys have been for years. 

[gman]

Hopefully he plays well enough this year yet, to be considered for the team the first half of next year.

[rdehring]

Count me among those who will be elated if he can match last year's 82 games with similar stats.  Expect the Twins will also be more than happy should he do so. 

Also expect he will spend the entire year at Wichita.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, rdehring said:

Count me among those who will be elated if he can match last year's 82 games with similar stats.  Expect the Twins will also be more than happy should he do so. 

concur. He's young....but I'm bummed he's missing this much time. 

[bean5302]

Watching how Jenkins is impacted in terms of athleticism going forward will be important. This is the second season in a row where he's missed 3 months of training/working out with a leg injury. Royce Lewis was once blistering fast, now he can barely outrun anybody.

Jenkins really needs to find a way to stay healthy.

[Chris Hove]

😢😢😢😢

[Parfigliano]

It just keeps happening.  Tippy top prospect guaranteed to miss months with an injury that doesn't heal.

[Blyleven2011]

Injuries happen that's a gimme , but boy do the suck ...

We have not been to fortunate on drafting first round players that can stay healthy and play games  ...

WHY ???

Why can't they stay healthy  , why are most players injury prone in today's games , there stronger today but the bodies break down to easily ...

Is it what they ate and drank growing up that causes the body to be fragile even though they build the outside of their bodies to be stronger ...

It's a theory of mine ... 

[HerbieFan]

But of course he is...

[mikelink45]

It is hard to put a positive spin on this, just like Buxton and Lewis and add on Correa - it feels like fate in the worse way.  

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, Blyleven2011 said:

 

[arby58]

7 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Two lost years already. He could be in AAA right now if he'd been healthy the last two years, but at least AA and getting close to AAA. If he is finally healthy, and productive, he'll top out at AAA this year if everything goes great, but I'm guessing he's in AA all year and maybe plays in the AAA playoffs (if there are any for the Saints). 

The questions are: can he stay healthy? If he does, will the Twins aggressively promote him if he's great?

He's 20 years old - no need to hit the panic button in terms of promotions. If he plays this year at AA and next year at AAA with a later season call-up, he'll be 21 - the same age as Buxton. Torii was up for little more than a cup of coffee at 22, Kirby's first season was at 24.

[bean5302]

I don't know as I agree with our first rounders being injury prone in general under Falvey.
2017 - Royce Lewis (Yes)
2017 - Brent Rooker (No)
2018 - Trevor Larnach (No, but started off as a yes in MLB)
2019 - Keoni Cavaco (No)
2020 - Aaron Sabato (No)
2021 - Chase Petty (No)
2021 - Noah Miller (No)
2022 - Brooks Lee (Yes)
2023 - Walker Jenkins (Yes)
2024 - Charlee Soto (No)
2024 - Kaelyn Culpepper (No)

[Doctor Wu]

Well, it's very frustrating for the fans and the team, but most likely even more frustrating for Jenkins. Just have to be patient and get back to full health. Hopefully, he's not a fan of skateboarding or hang gliding in the off-season. 

[Whitey333]

It's so frustrating.  It just never seems to end.  It's hard as a Twins fan these past few years to get excited about these can't miss prospects.

[rdehring]

16 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Injuries happen that's a gimme , but boy do the suck ...

We have not been to fortunate on drafting first round players that can stay healthy and play games  ...

WHY ???

Why can't they stay healthy  , why are most players injury prone in today's games , there stronger today but the bodies break down to easily ...

Is it what they ate and drank growing up that causes the body to be fragile even though they build the outside of their bodies to be stronger ...

It's a theory of mine ... 

Beginning with the Lewis injury in spring training, I have been wondering why?

These players work so hard at getting bigger and stronger.  Does that mean that their muscles are more prone to the types of injury that Royce just came back from?  Maybe players would be better off staying in good shape, but not trying to be the biggest and strongest possible.  

As for Jenkins, a high ankle sprain isn't the same.  Seems just like bad luck, unless he has had a history of ankle problems.  Does anyone know if that is the case?

[LambchoP]

These are crucial development years he's missing out on. The kid needs at bats and innings in CF. Hopefully he gets fully healthy and does well in AAA the rest of the way. Could be very beneficial to play in AFL this year too in order to make up for lost time. Twins have a lot riding on this kid, sure hope he doesn't turn into another Buxton or Lewis....only a part time player.

[MN_ExPat]

2 hours ago, rdehring said:

Beginning with the Lewis injury in spring training, I have been wondering why?

These players work so hard at getting bigger and stronger.  Does that mean that their muscles are more prone to the types of injury that Royce just came back from?  Maybe players would be better off staying in good shape, but not trying to be the biggest and strongest possible.  

As for Jenkins, a high ankle sprain isn't the same.  Seems just like bad luck, unless he has had a history of ankle problems.  Does anyone know if that is the case?

I can't speak for every player... only the ones I have seen first hand or have personal knowledge of (but yes, it is a LOT of players). 

Due to travel ball (prior to college ball), my son was playing probably at a minimum 60-70+ games a season.  This didn't count practices, workouts, other development work etc.  While my son is a really good player, and he was never considered a "big time" recruit, he's never made it through a season "healthy".

Now pan over to the super hyped recruits and prospects.  These guys are playing and working non-stop at a level that greatly exceeds what my son did.  It truly never ends.  Even "healthy" players aren't truly healthy.  They still have a litany of bumps, bruises, aches, and general soreness. The human body can only handle so much.

This isn't to say that I don't think they can't heal up with rest and therapy.  Just that they usually don't get that necessary time because of the environment and competitive cycle they put themselves through.

Jenkins should be fine with proper rest and treatment, but him and all other ball players will always be at risk for further injury simply because they usually can't take 100% of the time that their bodies need (although that will always be different lengths of time for each player because we as humans all heal differently).

[twinstalker]

I don't understand how this happened.  If he truly had a "high ankle sprain," he shouldn't have been seeing the field when he did.  Recovery from that is much longer than however long he was out.  You don't want to exacerbate the injury.

Of course, in my day, we just limped a little after sitting out for a week or two.  Oops, my uncle has something to add.

"Back when I played we gutted it out and rubbed some dirt on it.  Everybody was sore in some way, so it was an even playing field."

And finally, his older cousin:  "If it hurt too much, we just cut it off."