Twins prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez returning to action after injury absence

Rodriguez hasn't played since July 8th due to a thumb injury.

Feb 22, 2024; Lee County, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Emmanuel Rodriguez (90) poses for a photo during photo day at Hammond Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Twins prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez is returning to action on Thursday after missing most of the last three months with a nagging thumb injury. He's beginning a rehab assignment with Low-A Fort Myers, according to team play-by-play announcer John Vittas.

#MNTwins OF prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez will begin a rehab assignment with the Low-A @MightyMussels tonight in Fort Myers.

It will be his first game action since July 8. pic.twitter.com/H68E08yi7v

— John Vittas (@JohnVittas3) August 29, 2024

Rodriguez got off to a red-hot start to the season with Double-A Wichita this year, but he suffered a thumb injury in late May. After missing around ten days, he came back and aggravated the injury. Then he missed a month, went on a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League, and aggravated it again in his second game. That was on July 8. This will be his first action since then.

Hopefully Rodriguez can avoid any future complications with the injury, because the 21-year-old Dominican outfielder is one of the most exciting prospects in the Twins' system. He has a 1.100 OPS in 37 Double-A games this year with 40 runs scored, 22 of his 37 hits going for extra bases, and 9 steals. Last year at High-A Cedar Rapids, Rodriguez recorded 16 homers, 9 triples, 20 steals, and 87 runs in 99 games.

Rodriguez is the Twins' No. 2 prospect and the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel. MLB.com has him as the Twins' No. 3 prospect and No. 22 overall. If he can stay healthy, he has a chance to make his major league debut at some point in 2025.

Here's McDaniel on Rodriguez, who is a fascinating prospect for a variety of reasons:

"Rodriguez is a man of extremes, to the point that he's hard to project: His eye at the plate is among the best in the minor leagues, he has plus-plus raw power, he's among the best at getting to that power in games among top prospects, he has well-below-average bat-to-ball ability, and he's a standout defender despite just average speed, all in a 5-foot-10, 210-pound frame that's a bit stiff and frequently injured. He's probably a good major leaguer but definitely a unique one."

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