MINNEAPOLIS — He’s been in the majors for only four days, but Walker Jenkins never felt more nervous than while he waited in the on-deck circle for his final at-bat Monday night.With infielder Zach McKinstry pitching for the Detroit Tigers, Jenkins, the Minnesota Twins’ top prospect, was terrified of the potential for how wrong his next turn at the plate could go.“‘Dude, don’t strike out,’” Jenkins recalled telling himself with a laugh.When he took the field a few minutes later, Jenkins was laughing again, though this time it was because the Target Field crowd gave him a standing ovation for hitting the first home run of his career.
WALKER GETS HIS FIRST HOMER! pic.twitter.com/JMQFtiWLyk
— Twins.TV (@twinstv) September 1, 2026Jenkins’ two-run homer — on a 37-mph pitch — off the foul pole highlighted a night of firsts for the Twins, who routed the Tigers 11-1 to close out a rough month in the best possible way. Ryan Jeffers hit his first and second home runs of the month, Taj Bradley was sharp in earning his first victory of the second half, and the Twins homered four times to finish August with a 10-17 record.“I was more nervous for that than my normal at-bats, without a doubt,” Jenkins said. “But I legit had coaches tell me if you face a guy like that, try to hit it off the foul pole. It worked out. … That was not how I expected the first one to go.”Given their strength of schedule, it’s not unexpected the Twins struggled as much as they did in August. The Twins have had issues against National League opponents all season, and their August play included road series at Milwaukee and San Diego, and matchups at home against Philadelphia and Atlanta.But when he briefly addressed them after Sunday’s victory, Twins manager Derek Shelton encouraged his players that their rough patch was over, and it was time to move forward.Collectively, the Twins responded accordingly Monday.Still 3 1/2 games out in the American League wild-card race, the Twins are absolute long shots at best to make the postseason. Their odds haven’t been this slim in months.
