The Minnesota Twins may have spent much of 2026 outperforming expectations, but the latest blow landed in the middle of a real push. Before this weekend’s games, they sit at 69-77 and in third place in the American League Central, yet they’re still only six games behind first place and four and a half back of the final Wild Card spot.
Now comes the tough part: Byron Buxton is done for the year.
Freelance reporter Aaron Gleeman said Friday that the Twins center fielder will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to address a right hip impingement. The recovery time for that kind of procedure is estimated at three to five months, which means Buxton should be in position for Spring Training if everything goes smoothly.
His season ends after 93 games, another chapter in a career that has too often been interrupted by injuries. Even so, Buxton still put together a strong year before going down on August 25, hitting .254/.319/.511 with 25 home runs and 46 RBIs. The production was there despite the health issues.
He also continued to play center field full-time when available, and he did provide value there. Buxton posted three outs above average this season. At the same time, with the injury history piling up, there’s a case for him to shift to a corner spot.
Minnesota has already started looking for the next answer in center, and the name is Walker Jenkins. The Twins recently called up the 21-year-old outfielder, and his arrival lined up almost perfectly with Buxton’s move to the injured list.
Jenkins is the clear internal candidate to handle the position going forward, including next season. The early numbers haven’t popped, though.
Through his first 12 big league games, he’s hitting .118/.268/.265 with one home run and five RBIs. In the field, he has been average in center over his first 100 innings.
The Twins plan to keep giving Jenkins opportunities the rest of this season, and he should remain part of the conversation in 2027 as well. He is, after all, the No. 4 prospect in all of MLB, and the organization appears ready to let him grow into the job.
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Emmanuel Rodriguez Just Gave The Twins A Different Look
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For Minnesota, the bigger takeaway was how the game kept opening new lanes for a club that has been looking for different ways to win. Rodriguez finished with a hit, a run, an RBI, a home run and an assist, while the bullpen did enough to protect the lead the offense had built. The debut was memorable on its own, but it also hinted at how quickly a new face can alter the look of a lineup when the Twins need one more spark. [Read more 🡒]