Twins' top prospects Walker Jenkins, Brooks Lee on rehab assignments

Feeling a bit nauseous from the up-and-down nature of the 2024 Minnesota Twins season?

It started with an injuries to top prospects Walker Jenkins and Brooks Lee and that led to Royce Lewis suffering a quad strain on Opening Day. The dominos kept falling the wrong way as the Twins started the season 7-13 only to right the ship with 17 wins in their next 20 games. And now here we are, back in the valley of a six-game losing streak that has seen the Twins get swept by the Yankees and Guardians.

Want some good news? Well, Byron Buxton was reinstated Saturday from the injured list and now Jenkins and Lee, who are ranked 1-2 in Minnesota's prospect pool, are finally returning from their injuries.

Jenkins suffered a hamstring injury in the Class A Fort Myers season opener way back on April 5 and he hasn't played since. On Monday, the Twins sent him on a rehab assignment to the Florida Gulf Coast League, where he'll presumably get back into playing condition and then start his first full season of minor league baseball in full force.

Lee suffered a back injury in March and has yet to make his 2024 debut, but the Triple-A shortstop has also been sent to the Florida Gulf Coast League to start a rehab assignment. That could mean it's just a matter of time before he joins the St. Paul Saints.

Isn't good news refreshing? Now, for some more bad news...

The Twins' No. 4-ranked prospect, outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez, hasn't played since May 1 because of a back strain and The Gazette in Cedar Rapids (he's playing at High-A Cedar Rapids) reported May 15 that he "does not appear too close to returning."

The Twins will try to get out of the losing column when they open a three-game series in D.C. Monday against the Washington Nationals. Washington is riding a five-game losing streak after getting swept by the Phillies over the weekend.