The expression for a player trying to make his case to get called up to the majors is “knocking on the door.” But in the case of Minnesota Twins prospect Walker Jenkins, he might as well be Jack Torrance in The Shining.
Jenkins is doing his part to demand a call-up, slugging a pair of home runs in Sunday’s loss to the Columbus Clippers. But the Twins haven’t pulled the trigger, leaning on an anemic combination of Austin Martin and Alan Roden and a defensively-challenged Luke Keaschall in the outfield.
At this point, it’s hard to tell what series of events could get Jenkins to join the Twins. But they may have found their avenue as Byron Buxton struggles through a hip injury.
Buxton has been on the injured list twice with a right hip impingement and while he was able to earn his third career All-Star appearance, his presence has done more harm than good, hitting .129/.270/.161 with a double, five walks and nine strikeouts since his latest return on Aug. 13.
After limping his way through a weekend sweep against the Padres, it’s clear that Buxton’s hip still isn’t right and it could be the sign for the Twins to make the call and give Jenkins a chance to carry them to the postseason.
Byron Buxton’s injury issues could be the opening Walker Jenkins has been waiting for
Obviously, the Twins are a better team with Buxton in center field. Even after his recent struggles, Buxton is hitting .251/.316/.511 with 25 homers, 46 RBI and seven stolen bases in 91 games. He also was able to make a highlight-reel grab in center field on Friday night, diving for a fly ball in right-center field to take a hit away from Padres catcher Freddy Fermin.
While the catch drew headlines, it was more notable what happened afterward. Buxton stayed on his knees for a few moments after landing on his ailing hip and while he was able to stay in the game, he struggled at the plate for the entirety of the series, going 1-for-12 with a walk and three strikeouts.
Going back to the series finale against the Atlanta Braves, Buxton is 1-for-15 and has been gutting through his latest injury. While it’s great to see him on the field, it’s clear he’s not playing at 100 percent and his comments to the Pioneer Press’s Betsy Helfand suggested it’s not going away anytime soon.
“[It] comes and goes. Good days, bad days,” Buxton said. “It’s not a time of the year to be worried about that for me. Just one of those where [you] take it one day at a time for sure.”
After missing the Twins’ push to the playoffs in 2023, Buxton is extra-motivated to stay on the field and make an impact. But his struggles at the plate and running the bases may be the development that finally gets Walker Jenkins to the majors.
Walker Jenkins is making it impossible for the Twins to keep him in Triple-A
Sunday’s performance capped off a series against Columbus where Jenkins went nuclear at the plate, going 10-for-25 with four homers, seven RBI, five walks and three strikeouts while grabbing three steals over five games. The performance has also been part of a torrid August where Jenkins is hitting .415/.493/.800 with seven homers, 12 RBI, six stolen bases, 10 walks and 12 strikeouts over 16 games.
With an overall line of .306/.406/.526 with 11 homers, 27 RBI and 16 stolen bases on 20 attempts in 67 games with the Saints, it’s looking like Jenkins doesn’t have much to prove at Triple-A. And it’s also left the Twins running out of red tape as they look for ways to keep Jenkins in the minors.
Jenkins is not on the Twins’ 40-man roster, meaning it would require a corresponding roster move to promote him. While Twins fans could probably point to Alex Jackson as an odd man out, that move has given Derek Shelton more flexibility for bench moves late in games. The looming lockout between owners and the MLB Players Association also plays a role here as Jenkins would be eligible to play minor league baseball next season if he is not added to the 40-man roster by the end of this season.
There’s also the issue of having Jenkins play every day. Again, fans will roll their eyes thinking of Roden, Martin and Keaschall in the outfield, but the Twins clearly value that Jenkins has a chance to play every day in St. Paul.
But Buxton’s struggles may finally open that door. The Twins may be hesitant to send Buxton back to the injured list, but if he’s struggling like he did in the Padres series, it may be time to give him one last breather and allow Jenkins to inject another impact bat into the lineup. The last part is also notable as the Twins have averaged just 3.9 runs per game since the All-Star Break.
At some point, the Twins will need to make a decision and fans have pointed out for weeks that Jenkins could be a player who aids their bid for a Wild Card spot. Ideally, Buxton’s health would make this decision easier. But if he continues to struggle, it could be the domino that finally kicks the door down and has Jenkins making his major league debut.
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