One of the biggest positive developments for the Minnesota Twins has been Ryan Jeffers‘ breakout. The Twins catcher has emerged not only as one of the best hitters at his position, but all of baseball.
However, his breakout season will be on hold. Aaron Gleeman reports that Jeffers suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand and was placed on the 10-day injured list.
That’s a significant injury for Jeffers.
Twins have called up Orlando Arcia to replace Lewis and Alex Jackson to replace Jeffers.
The injury is tough news on a very eventful day for the Twins. The club demoted their former No. 1 overall pick, Royce Lewis, due to his struggles at the plate.
As part of the flurry of roster moves for May 19, the Twins have selected infielder Orlando Arcia and catcher Alex Jackson. Travis Adams has been recalled from Triple-A St. Paul. Justin Topa has been designated for assignment and Garrett Acton has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Twins Breakout Star Catcher Ryan Jeffers Suffers Hamate Bone Injury
Jeffers, 29, has emerged as one of the top offensive threats in baseball. In 37 games, the Twins catcher is slashing .295/.408/.541 with seven home runs. His 165 wRC+ ranks second among MLB catchers, behind only Shea Langeliers of the Athletics, and seventh among all hitters with at least 140 plate appearances.
With that level of performance with the bat at his position, Jeffers would have likely represented the Twins at the All-Star game. Between him, Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, and possibly Taj Bradley, Minnesota had four deserving candidates. It would have been the first All-Star game for Jeffers.
With a hamate bone fracture, Jeffers is likely headed for surgery to remove it, then a lengthy rehab process. That will require a six to eight-week recovery time, placing his potential return around the All-Star break.
That timeline has since been confirmed by Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll, per Gleeman.
Further compounding the injury is his position, as his injured hand takes the force of at least 120 pitches per night. The Twins could theoretically play him at designated hitter more when he returns, especially if Josh Bell continues to struggle. Bell has an 81 wRC+ in 45 games with Minnesota as their primary DH.
Twins Catcher Situation Without Ryan Jeffers
In addition to losing one of their best hitters, the Twins lost their starting catcher for a significant amount of time. Journeyman Alex Jackson has been added from Triple-A St. Paul as part of a flurry of roster moves.
Minnesota will have to navigate the next six to eight weeks with a combination of Victor Caratini and Jackson. The most likely scenario will be that Caratini is the primary starter behind the plate, and Jackson the backup, while Jeffers recovers from surgery.
Caratini, 32, signed a two-year, $14 million contract to be Jeffers’ backup behind the plate. So far in 2026, he’s slashing .199/.299/.231 at the plate in 34 games. He’s split time between catcher, first base, and DH this season. The Twins will hope to get more production out of the veteran catcher with an increased role.
Jackson, 30, is a former first-round pick who’s well-traveled over the years. The Twins will be the sixth MLB team he’s played for in his career. He owns a career slash line of .153/.239/.288 with 11 home runs. Minnesota shouldn’t expect much offense out of Jackson.
Twins Dealt Major Blow as Emerging Star Heads to IL