The Minnesota Twins are calling up their No. 1 prospect in advance of their most important series of the year.
Walker Jenkins, the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft and the game's 10th-ranked prospect per Baseball America, will be called up in advance of the Twins' weekend series against the first-place Chicago White Sox.
Jenkins, 21, joins shortstop Kaelen Culpepper as top Twins prospects aiming to provide a boost to the club's flagging playoff hopes. Jenkins, a 6-3, 210-pound outfielder, has been on a recent tear at Class AAA St. Paul and now has 12 homers and a .940 OPS in 69 games there.
Buxton aggravated a right hip injury during the club's series at Sacramento.
A person familiar with the agreement confirmed Jenkins will be recalled to replace
the injured Byron Buxton on the active roster. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the move has not yet been announced. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune first reported Jenkins' impending promotion.
Jenkins has been plagued by injuries over his minor league career and hasn't played in more than the 84 games he posted in 2025, when he hit 10 homers at three levels. Yet he seemed to grow into his much-anticipated power this season, slugging .532 at St. Paul after a .451 mark in 2025.
The Twins enter the weekend 6 1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox; they're four games out in the wild card chase but have five teams to vault into playoff position.
Contributing: Bob Nightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Twins calling up top prospect Walker Jenkins before huge series
