How Long Will Ryan Jeffers Be Out After Suffering Hamate Fracture?

Typically, a hamate fracture that requires surgery will keep a player out 4-6 weeks.

May 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Ryan Jeffers (27) celebrates his solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Ryan Jeffers is going to miss an extended period on the injured list after suffering a fractured hamate bone in his right hand during the Minnesota Twins' 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night.

Jefferson curiously left the game after a foul ball slivered his bat. After the broken bat, he got a new one and got back into the batter's box like nothing had happened. He took one pitch, called time, and left the game.

Strange sequence in the #MnTwins game.

Ryan Jeffers broke his bat on a swing, looked ok, took the next pitch, stepped out, called time, left the game.

Hard to tell what happened.

(📺https://t.co/BBqYdDCQqD) pic.twitter.com/cQJl8uPMH9

— Chris Long (@ChrisLongKSTP) May 19, 2026

The Twins, in addition to demoting Royce Lewis to Triple-A St. Paul, have selected the contract of catcher Alex Jackson and transferred right-handed pitcher Garrett Acton to the 60-day IL. They also designated right-handed reliever Justin Topa for assignment.

Jeffers has been among the few consistent hitters in the Twins' lineup this season. He's hitting .295 with seven homers and 26 RBIs. He leads the team with a .949 OPS despite having hit eight fewer homers than Byron Buxton, who sports an .899 OPS.

Hamate fractures are pretty common in Major League Baseball. So common that MLB's official website covered them with an extensive story about the injury back in April.

"Really, any kind of contact -- be it foul tips or hard line drives -- can potentially cause an injury, because the vibration of the contact can drive directly into the area of the palm where the Hook of the Hamate is located," MLB.com's story reads. "But it can even happen on something so simple as a checked swing, because abruptly stopping the swing can have the same effect. Actually, checked swings are considered the most common cause of these injuries."

Notably, Mets and Diamondbacks stars Francisco Lindor and Corbin Carroll, respectively, both underwent surgeries to repair hamate fractures in February. Lindor underwent surgery on Feb. 11 and was cleared to play in mid-March. Carroll also underwent surgery on March 11 and was back in the full swing of things by March 11.

Typically, hamate bone surgeries result in four to six weeks on the injured list.

However, setbacks are possible. Last season, Angels star Mike Trout suffered a broken left hamate in early July. He underwent surgery and returned on Aug. 22, but he played in just one game before the Angels shut him down amid a lost season due to pain and soreness in his hand.

Famously, David Ortiz broke the hamate in his right hand twice while playing for the Twins. It happened during his rookie season in 1998, and then again during the 2002 Dominican Winter League. Minnesota released him after the 2002 season, even though he hit .275 with 20 homers and 75 RBIs. The Boston Red Sox scooped him up ahead of the 2003 season, and now he's in the Hall of Fame with 541 career homers.