Twins' No. 1 prospect Walker Jenkins suffers joint sprain in left shoulder
Jenkins, MLB Pipeline's No. 11 overall prospect, suffered a grade 2 AC joint sprain in his left shoulder while running into the outfield wall making a catch on Sunday. According to MLB.com's Matthew Leach, the Twins will have a clearer idea of when Jenkins will return after re-evaluating the outfielder in 10 days.
It was especially tough for Twins fans to hear about Jenkins' injury since it occurred on the same day that starting pitcher Joe Ryan exited his start with right elbow soreness after facing just two batters.
Jenkins had a rough start at the plate with Triple-A St. Paul this season, but a recent strong stretch improved his overall slash line to .256/.396/.389 over 111 plate appearances. He slashed .286/.399/.451 across four minor-league levels last season.
Jenkins, 21, has suffered numerous injuries since being drafted No. 5 overall by the Twins in 2023. He missed six weeks in 2024 because of a left hamstring strain and eight weeks in 2025 because of an ankle sprain. He also suffered a left hamstring strain in spring training.
Jenkins appeared on track to make his MLB debut this season before suffering his injury. Now, he may have to wait until 2027 to play in the big leagues.
Twins RHP David Festa suffers setback
Festa, who suffered a shoulder injury in spring training, felt renewed discomfort after a recent throwing session, according to Leach. He's being re-evaluated to determine his next steps. He was likely close to making a minor-league rehab assignment before the setback.
Festa's setback is poor timing, as Ryan is likely headed to the injured list. Not to mention, Simeon Woods Richardson is in danger of losing his rotation spot with a 6.49 ERA in 34 2/3 innings over seven starts. On the bright side, Mick Abel appears to be nearing a return from the IL, and Zebby Matthews has looked sharp with Triple-A St. Paul lately.
Given Festa's injury history and struggles in later innings, Minnesota may consider converting him to a relief role. He could be a major help to Minnesota's struggling bullpen, which ranks 28th among all 30 MLB teams in ERA (5.31), 29th in strikeout rate (18.3%), 21st in walk rate (11.0%) and last in batting average against (.271). Unfortunately, it appears Festa won't be reinstated from the IL anytime soon.
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