No. 1 Twins Prospect Walker Jenkins is Injured Again

Talent-wise, Walker Jenkins is up there with Joe Mauer, Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, and perhaps a couple others on a list of the best prospects the Twins have had in the past three decades. The No. 5 overall pick in the 2023 draft has done nothing but hit in his first three professional seasons, showing off a high-level left-handed swing and above-average outfield defense. Just 21 years old, Jenkins has all the makings of a potential future All-Star for Minnesota.

Unfortunately, he shares something else in common with Buxton, Lewis, and a few other standout Twins prospects in recent memory, which is that staying on the field has been an issue for him.

Jenkins has dealt with multiple injuries since being drafted by the Twins, and he's now sidelined again less than two weeks into spring training. He showed up with some soreness after running out a double play on Saturday, got an MRI on Sunday, and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

Walker Jenkins reported to camp feeling sore after running out a double play yesterday. Had an MRI on Sunday and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) March 1, 2026

The good news is that it's the lowest grade of hamstring strain, which means Jenkins should be back to full strength in somewhere between 2-4 weeks. The troubling part is that this is the continuation of a bit of a trend for one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

Jenkins missed two months early in the 2024 season with a significant left hamstring strain. He eventually got healthy and played in 82 games that season, posting an .833 OPS with more walks than strikeouts to cement himself as a star prospect. Jenkins then missed over two months early last season due to a severe ankle sprain. Once more, he came back and played in 84 games, posting an .850 OPS and reaching Triple-A for the first time at just 20 years old.

Now he's hurt again. Because it's a relatively minor injury that occurred on the final day of February, Jenkins could still wind up being ready to go for the start of the 2026 regular season with St. Paul. This does end any remote chance he had at making the Twins' Opening Day roster. The plan all along was likely for Jenkins to begin the year at Triple-A and perhaps earn a call-up at some point this summer if he continues to hit.

It's far too early to put Jenkins in the same boat as a Buxton or Lewis, who have been plagued by injuries throughout their careers. But the reality is that he's starting to earn the "injury-prone" label, and in order to reach his full potential with the Twins, he'll have to be able to stay on the field.

Jenkins went 0 for 7 in his first four games this spring. He did have three batted balls at over 100 miles per hour, including a 107 MPH lineout.