Minnesota Twins fans are used to their favorite team's top prospects suffering brutal injuries. Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel RodrÃguez and Connor Prielipp are notable Twins prospects who have spent a lot of time on the injured list early in their careers. Another minor leaguer just joined the long list of promising Twins prospects to suffer a devastating injury. On Tuesday, Minnesota placed right-handed pitcher James Ellwanger, its third-round pick from the 2025 MLB Draft, on the 60-day IL with a right elbow strain. The Twins plan to rest Ellwanger for 4-6 weeks.
Jeremy Zoll described James Ellwanger's MRI as similar to what #MNTwins saw when they drafted him. Plan is to rest Ellwanger (right elbow sprain) for 4-6 weeks, build him up & re-evaluate.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) April 22, 2026
Zoll: "The scan shows a new injury, but it’s minimal change to UCL & to his flexor."
Ellwanger, 21, is the Twins' No. 16 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Last year, Minnesota drafted the righty 88th overall out of Dallas Baptist University, where Ellwanger posted a 4.44 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 81 innings across two seasons. The Twins signed him a bit over slot for $1 million.
Twins' Ellwanger has dominated the minors this season
Ellwanger has been lights out on the mound in his first professional season, hurling 11 2/3 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts while allowing three hits and five walks in three starts for Low-A Fort Myers this year. His fastball velocity has averaged 96 mph this season. Along with his electric fastball, Ellwanger's arsenal includes a low-80s curveball, mid-80s slider, low-90s cutter and mid-80s changeup.
James Ellwanger, our 3rd round pick in ‘25, with back-to-back scoreless starts in his first two pro outings💥
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) April 10, 2026
4 IP / 1 H / 0 R / 1 BB / 5 K#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/pj3osLykV9
Ellwanger also had an impressive outing in the Twins' 2026 Spring Breakout Game, surrendering just one hit with two strikeouts in three scoreless innings.
Ellwanger, who's 6-foot-4 and weighs 205 pounds, has shown he can be dominant. However, his command could be improved. He walked 50 batters in his 81 collegiate innings, and his five walks in 11 2/3 innings this season translate to a poor 11.4% walk rate. Still, he's only 21 years old with limited professional experience. If I were a betting man, I'd wager that the righty's control will improve.
While Ellwanger likely won't be ready to make his MLB debut until at least 2028, his injury is still a brutal blow to his development. Let's hope he returns from the IL as soon as he's eligible and continues to show why he's among the Twins' top 30 prospects. He should be able to make around five more starts this season if he returns to game action when expected. If Ellwanger continues where he left off upon returning to in-game action and can avoid more long IL stints, there's a good chance he will be in the Twins' starting rotation later this decade.