An Incomplete History of Minnesota’s Top Prospects Getting Injured

For years, the Minnesota Twins have prided themselves on developing homegrown talent, but one troubling trend continues to haunt the franchise. The organization’s top prospects continue to get injured. As spring training gets underway, the latest setback belongs to Emmanuel Rodriguez, a consensus top-50 global prospect, who sprained his ankle in the days leading up to camp starting. The injury is expected to sideline him for one to two weeks, but it’s another frustrating hurdle for a player who has struggled to stay on the field. Rodriguez was limited to just 47 games last season due to multiple thumb injuries, and now his 2025 campaign begins with another setback.

Unfortunately, Rodriguez’s situation is hardly unique among the Twins' top prospects. Injury woes have plagued some of the most promising players in the organization, often slowing or even derailing their ascent to the big leagues.

Royce Lewis, the first overall pick in the 2017 draft, was considered one of the best prospects in baseball. However, injuries have defined much of his professional career. Two ACL surgeries robbed him of critical development time, and just as he began to establish himself at the major league level last season, an oblique strain sidelined him again. He’s entering his age-26 season, so there is still hope for him to put it all together, but injuries have impacted his potential development into a superstar player. 

Austin Martin, Twins Daily’s top-ranked prospect in 2022, had a chance to make an impact in 2023 before a UCL sprain sidelined him early in spring training. That injury significantly limited his availability and set back his development in a crucial year. He played 67 games and reached Triple-A, posting a .791 OPS. Expectations were very high for him coming out of Vanderbilt, and last season was his first professional season where he played more than 100 games. When the Twins traded for Martin, they hoped he’d be a centerpiece of their plans, but he’s looking to be a utility, role player.   

Alex Kirilloff was Twins Daily’s number two ranked prospect entering the 2019 season behind Lewis. He looked like a future middle-of-the-order bat but battled persistent wrist and back issues throughout his professional career. He played 249 big-league games and hit .248/.309/.412 (.721) with a 99 OPS+. Those ailments took such a toll that he ultimately decided to retire after last season, a stunning end to what once seemed like a promising career.

And then there’s Byron Buxton, the quintessential example of a supremely-talented player whose career will be forever marked by injuries. Buxton was once considered among baseball's top prospects, but a lengthy list of ailments (including knee, hip, and shoulder issues) has prevented him from reaching his full potential. He’s one of the game’s best players when healthy, but those stretches have been all too fleeting.

The injury trend isn’t just limited to the current crop of prospects. Looking back, the Twins have seen numerous highly-touted players deal with injuries that impacted their careers. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Francisco Liriano, and Jason Kubel all suffered significant injuries in their early years, preventing them from having a smooth, uninterrupted transition to the big leagues. Some, like Mauer and Morneau, went on to have fantastic careers, but the road was far from easy.

As the next wave of Twins prospects prepares to make their mark, the team can only hope for better fortune on the health front. Prospects like Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee have immense potential, but staying on the field will be as critical as their on-field performance. Both missed significant time in 2024. Injuries are a part of baseball, but for the Twins, they have become an unfortunate and all-too-common obstacle for their most talented young players.

Is there anything the Twins can do to keep their top prospects healthy? Whose career was most impacted by injuries? Leave a comment and start the discussion.