Walker Jenkins Reassigned to Minor League After Grade 1 Hamstring Strain

Walker Jenkins was reassigned to minor-league camp after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain that he suffered Feb. 28 while attempting to beat out a ground-ball double play in a Grapefruit League game, the Star Tribune reported. Jenkins, a 21-year-old center fielder and the Twins’ top-rated prospect, is out for a couple of weeks after the diagnosis, per the Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale.

The reassignment came March 4 as the Twins cut six non-roster invitees from big-league camp. The full group sent to minor-league camp included right-handers Andrew Bash and Raul Brito, left-hander Christian MacLeod, catchers Andrew Cossetti and Ricardo Olivar, and Jenkins. The Star Tribune noted that none of the six players had previously reached the majors. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes captured the roster move succinctly: “Walker Jenkins is among six players the #MNTwins reassigned to minor-league camp today. Team is down to 59 in camp.”

Jenkins entered spring training as a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, and RotoWire framed the hamstring injury as decisive: “Jenkins entered camp as a long shot to make the Opening Day roster, and a Grade 1 left hamstring strain suffered this past weekend sealed his fate.” Jenkins was the fifth overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and is regarded by Yahoo as one of the top 15 prospects in all of baseball, giving the Twins a high-ceiling option in center field whose timeline is being managed carefully.

Despite the early setback, outlets project Jenkins could still reach the majors this season after he recovers. RotoWire wrote that the top prospect “should debut at some point during the 2026 campaign,” and FantasyPros summarized the outlook as: “He'll have a good chance of being called up at some point during the season.” The reports do not include a specific rehab assignment or a detailed treatment plan; only the Star Tribune’s timeline of being out for a couple of weeks is provided.

The reassignment reduced major-league camp to 59 players, a number that includes starting pitcher David Festa, who is expected to begin the season on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement, per the Star Tribune. That camp count and Festa’s IL status leave the Twins juggling pitcher health and outfield depth as they finalize roster decisions during the remainder of Grapefruit League play.

For Jenkins, the immediate path is a short-term recovery window and a return to the minor-league side of camp rather than a push for Opening Day. Given his status as the organization’s No. 1 prospect and a top-15 national prospect, the timeline now centers on getting healthy over the next couple of weeks with the expectation—per RotoWire and FantasyPros—that a 2026 big-league debut remains likely once he’s fully recovered.