Twins prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez returns to field after extensive absence

The Minnesota Twins received some good news on Thursday in what's otherwise been some tough times as of late.

Emmanuel Rodriguez, the organization's No. 3 overall prospect and MLB's No. 22 overall prospect, is returning to the field Thursday night as he begins his rehab assignment in Low-A Fort Myers, according to the team's play-by-play announcer John Vittas.

Rodriguez, 21, reaggravated a thumb injury he's been dealing with for the majority of this summer on a swing during a rehab assignment early last month.

RELATED: Twins prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez dealing with nagging thumb injury

He was initially placed on the Minor League seven-day injured list on June 7 when he sprained the same thumb sliding into second base on a double. That was Rodriguez's first game back after he missed a week prior due to a separate hand injury.

In 37 games in Double-A Wichita, Rodriguez has been impressive this season, hitting .298/.479/.621 with an OPS of 1.100 in 167 plate appearances. Nearly 60% of his hits have gone for extra bases (22 of 37) and he has scored 40 runs.

The outfielder is projected to make his big league debut sometime next year, as other top prospects in the Twins' organization (Brooks Lee and Zebby Matthews, No. 2 and No. 5, respectively) are already on the MLB roster.

The Twins' No. 1 prospect Walker Jenkins remains in the Minor Leagues as he isn't expected to make his MLB debut until 2026, according to MLB.com.

Related: Fast-rising Twins prospect Zebby Matthews to make MLB debut on Tuesday: report

Related: Report: Twins No. 5 prospect Luke Keaschall to undergo Tommy John surgery