Top MN Twins Prospect Hurt Again

The Minnesota Twins made it through Spring Training with a relatively clean bill of health. They still needed to do a bit of roster shuffling at the end of Grapefruit League action due to Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee being injured, though. They are 0-1 in regular season action after losing on Opening Day.

Earlier in camp, both Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins were slowed by ankle issues. Last year, Rodriguez missed a significant amount of time due to a right thumb injury that end up requiring surgery.

Friday night, the St. Paul Saints kicked off their season in a cold home opener. Rodriguez was cleared, and played in that game. Today, he is already out of the lineup.

Emmanuel Rodriguez scratched from Minnesota Twins Triple-A lineup

Last season Emmanuel Rodriguez finished the year at Triple-A St. Paul for the Minnesota Twins. He played in just 47 games during the year after suffering that thumb injury. Rodriguez went 3-for-4 on Opening Day last night, but now is dealing with a “jammed” left thumb.

Emmanuel Rodriguez is out of the Saints lineup with a jammed left thumb. Jair Camargo will replace him at DH today and bat third. #MNTwins

— Theodore Tollefson (@TheodoreTollef1) March 29, 2025

The severity of Rodriguez’s thumb injury is not known right now. However, he was originally scheduled to bat third as the designated hitter for St. Paul on Saturday. During the 11-0 victory against Indianapolis, Rodriguez had two singles and a double. He did not steal a base, but did break for second (and slid in head first) before being called back on a foul ball. He did not leave the game nor was there any indication of an injury.

Emmanuel Rodriguez 2 run double hit at 113.6 MPH 🤯 to drive in the first @StPaulSaints runs of the season

He is 2-2#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/AvSMPVkb6z

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) March 29, 2025

Hopefully this is a case of the Saints, and Twins, being cautious with Rodriguez. He is a consensus top 25 prospect across all of baseball. He has the potential to be a difference maker for the Minnesota Twins this season.

St. Paul wound up postponing their scheduled game on Saturday against the Indians. That allows another day for Rodriguez to heal and get back to full strength. It’s possible Sunday’s game sees the same fate, and that would keep Rodriguez on the shelf until Tuesday in Columbus at least.

Across 231 minor league games, Rodriguez has an incredible .457 on-base percentage. He has hit 44 home runs and stolen 49 bases. There is a significant amount of speed to his game, but given the continued issues with his thumbs, Minnesota should think about mandating he slide feet first.

Rodriguez being back in the lineup quickly would certainly be a positive development. For such an outstanding talent, he can’t continue to be unavailable due to injuries.