The Minnesota Twins’ offseason injury updates brought news on four familiar names, with Walker Jenkins set for elbow surgery, Byron Buxton moving deeper into his hip recovery, and both Zebby Matthews and Jeff Hoffman dealing with flexor strains.
According to Declan Goff of SKOR North, Jenkins will have surgery to remove bone spurs and chips from his elbow. The organization’s No. 1 overall prospect was called up in late May and needed a little time to settle in, but he finished stronger after a rough opening stretch. In 26 games with Minnesota this year, Jenkins hit .226/.293/.393 with four home runs and 10 RBI.
Jenkins has already navigated injuries early in his career. He also missed a significant portion of the 2026 season because of a joint sprain in his left shoulder.
Buxton, meanwhile, had hip surgery earlier this month, and Goff reported that his stitches have been removed. The Twins center fielder will begin strength training through Christmas. Buxton got off to a strong start this season before his hip became a major problem in July, sending him to the IL three times and limiting his production between those stints.
The 32-year-old finished 2026 with 2.6 fWAR and a .254/.319/.511 line, along with 25 home runs and 46 RBI in 93 games.
The pitching side of the update was no better. Goff said Matthews and Hoffman both have flexor strains, and both are expected to be ready for 2027. Hoffman landed on the IL during the final series of the season, and the Twins activated shortstop Kaelen Culpepper in the corresponding move.
Minnesota acquired Hoffman and cash from the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 3 in a deal that sent left-hander Dasan Hill, right-hander John Klein, infielder Dameury Pena and international bonus pool space to Toronto. Hoffman made the move pay off right away, posting a 2.50 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 18 innings in a Twins uniform. He remains under team control through next season.
Matthews opened the year at Triple-A St. Paul and put together a mixed season from there.
He finished with a 4.90 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP and 116 strikeouts over 130 1/3 innings. His final outing was rough, as he gave up five earned runs to the San Francisco Giants, but he was sharp before that with six scoreless innings against the New York Yankees.
The Twins may look at Matthews as a bullpen option next year.
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