New rehab level, same result: Twins' top prospect Jenkins slugs another homer
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When Walker Jenkins is healthy and getting off his "A" swing, he’s as dangerous as any prospect for an opposing pitcher to face at any level, at any time.
Jenkins joined the High-A Cedar Rapids lineup on Tuesday night to continue his rehab from a left shoulder sprain and promptly hammered a solo homer in the first inning off right-hander Carson Laws (Marlins). MLB's No. 11 overall prospect collected a homer for the second consecutive game after going deep during a four-hit night for Single-A Fort Myers on Saturday.
Ultimately, Jenkins finished with another multihit game Tuesday, adding a line-drive single to right off righty Luis De La Cruz in the sixth. He also ripped a lined shot to center in the third that was corralled in Cedar Rapids' 19-12 win over Beloit at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Jenkins last appeared for the Kernels in September 2024, capping a 34-game stint before moving on to Double-A at just 19 years old as part of his rapid ascent through the Twins’ system. Even as injuries have scuttled his upward trajectory, the 2023 first-rounder has been prominently positioned near the top of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list for most of his time in the Minors.
After a Grade 1 hamstring strain took a chunk out of his ramp-up this spring, Jenkins returned in time to begin the year with Triple-A St. Paul. After a slow start (4-for-26), he began to find his groove with a .295/.419/.475 slash line in his last 16 games with the Saints. But then came another run-in with an outfield wall on May 3 that sidelined the Twins' top prospect.
Jenkins’ penchant for playing all out has bitten him at times in pro ball. The 21-year-old joked last year that he would have to “stop running into walls,” admittedly an occupational hazard for a player whose job defensively is to corral anything from gap to gap.
Even with just 25 games at Triple-A this season, Jenkins has posted four of St. Paul’s top 18 exit velocities in 2026 (all north of 111 mph). Among players with at least 100 plate appearances for the Saints, Jenkins’ 92.2 mph average exit velocity ranks second to only fellow outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez (MIN No. 4/MLB No. 51), who also is currently on the injured list.
Offensive bonanzas have become something of a standard for Cedar Rapids of late. On Saturday, prior to Jenkins’ arrival, the team was a part of the first Minor League game with 48 hits in nearly a decade. Eduardo Tait (MIN No. 3/MLB No. 42), who delivered a two-homer, five-RBI performance Tuesday, went deep in Saturday's contest as well, joined by Minnesota's No. 7 prospect Marek Houston (five hits) and Jay Thomason (six hits) in packing the box score.
On the same day of Jenkins’ return to Cedar Rapids, the club also saw the debut of Enrique Jimenez (MIN No. 25), who was acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline from Detroit in exchange for Chris Paddack. The catcher/first baseman understood the assignment, promptly slugging a pair of home runs and reaching twice more on walks from the designated hitter spot.
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The Twins’ six Minor League clubs combined to score 76 runs Tuesday night, including St. Paul, which dropped a 21-spot in victory. And that’s before getting Jenkins back in the mix.