With Minnesota’s playoff chances slipping, September is about more than just the standings - it’s also when the Twins can widen the roster and take a look at the next wave. Major League Baseball’s September rules let clubs expand to 28 active players on September 1, with as many as 14 pitchers, giving the Twins room to mix upside with depth as the season winds down.
The most notable name in the group is Walker Jenkins, who was already given the nod ahead of Friday night’s loss to the White Sox. Technically not a September call-up, the top prospect in Minnesota’s system is coming off a strong 2026 run in the upper minors, where he hit .321 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases. The idea is simple: give the organization’s premier outfield talent a taste of the majors and maybe spark something in the lineup.
Matt Wallner is another obvious option. Since being sent down, he has set the Saints’ single-season home run record, and his left-handed power makes him the kind of player who can slide right into a lineup without much adjustment. He already has MLB experience, which only adds to his appeal.
Emmanuel Rodriguez also fits the profile of a September addition. His game is built around getting on base, but he brings more than patience. Rodriguez pairs strong strike-zone discipline with real power, and his ability to work walks while driving the ball into the gaps gives Minnesota a different look.
Gabriel Gonzalez, acquired in the Jorge Polanco trade, offers a different kind of value. He’s a pure hitter with a compact right-handed swing, and his ability to keep his strikeout rate below 18% across the minor leagues makes him a useful contact-oriented bat off the bench.
Hendry Mendez is more of a sleeper, but he belongs in the conversation too. His smooth contact mechanics and left-handed bat could make him a situational option if the Twins want another reliable bat in reserve.
There are also a couple of dark horses on the position-player side. Tristan Gray can provide versatile infield defense along with some power, while Aaron Sabato brings heavy right-handed pop and may finally get a chance to show whether he can handle MLB pitching.
On the pitching side, Eric Orze stands out after being sent down to make room for Tommy Nance. He has posted a 0.87 WHIP at St. Paul, and his profile points to a useful middle-inning weapon who can help strand inherited runners.
Marco Raya is another name to watch. With a mid-90s fastball, he’s one of the organization’s brightest arms, and he already logged a 3.00 ERA during a short major league debut earlier in 2026. If he follows that with a strong August in the minors, a return in September would make sense.
Kendry Rojas could enter the picture too, provided he gets healthy. The left-hander has a sharp slider and deceptive motion, and the Twins could use that kind of left-handed bullpen option if he’s ready.
Garrett Acton brings a power-reliever look with a heavy fastball-slider mix. He has struck out more than 30% of the hitters he’s faced in Triple-A, which makes him a legitimate candidate for a look.
Jack Anderson rounds out the pitching group. His low sidearm slot gives hitters a different angle to solve, and his ground-ball tendencies make him a strong candidate to fill the final spot on the staff.
The Twins have dangled playoff hope all season, but the path now looks steep. Whether they lean on established major leaguers or give more of their prospects a shot, September should reveal plenty. Either way, it would take a Herculean effort to get back into the postseason picture.
In Other News...
Twins Face A Tough Walker Jenkins Question As Playoff Push Slips
As the Twins tried to keep their playoff push alive, one of the bigger organizational calls in August came down to Walker Jenkins and whether his bat should have been brought up from Triple-A. Jenkins was performing exceptionally well there, and the temptation to accelerate his arrival was obvious for a club looking for any edge it could find. Instead, Minnesota chose to keep him in the minors, with development and consistent playing time taking priority over an immediate jump to the majors.
The debate now is less about Jenkins talent than about timing, because the Twins did make other moves to try to improve the roster while the standings tightened. Still, leaving a premium prospect in Triple-A while the postseason chase got harder naturally invites second-guessing, especially when the lineup could have used another spark. It is the kind of decision that can look prudent in the long term and frustrating in the moment, which is exactly where this one sits for Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]
Walker Jenkins May Have Just Solved A Twins Outfield Problem
Walker Jenkins arrival gives the Twins a cleaner look in the outfield at a time when they could use one. Minnesota has promoted its top prospect, and the move immediately shifts Luke Keaschall out of center field, where the defensive growing pains have been obvious, and toward right field, where he has looked more comfortable. With Byron Buxton still day-to-day because of a hip issue, Jenkins has even stepped into center while the veteran gets a breather, giving the Twins a chance to reshuffle without forcing Keaschall into a job that has not fit well.
For Minnesota, the appeal goes beyond one temporary lineup card. Keaschalls bat remains part of the equation, but the Twins have been searching for a way to maximize him without exposing him in center, and Jenkins presence suddenly makes that easier to manage. Whether this is a short-term fix while Buxton heals or the beginning of a longer-term alignment, it is the kind of roster answer that can matter quickly for a team trying to keep its season moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Suddenly Have A Late-Game Problem They Can't Afford
The Twins have spent much of this stretch playing from behind, and the late innings have started to feel like the part of the game where their offense simply stops carrying over. Minnesota has lost four straight and slipped to a season-low eight games below .500, a slide that has left the club staring at postseason odds of just 5.0 percent. It is one thing to have a bad week in the standings, but it is another when the teams most troubling trend is becoming easier to spot by the inning.
Since the fifth, the Twins have not done enough damage against bullpens, with their late-game production lagging well behind league norms in slugging and home runs. That is a rough place to be for a lineup already operating without Byron Buxton, whose hip injury has taken an obvious bite out of the offense and whose return remains up in the air. For a team trying to stay in the race, the problem is not just scoring less, but running out of answers exactly when games tend to turn. [Read more 🡒]