Lewis (hamstring) will do some light baserunning Thursday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
While he won't be running full-bore, this appears to be the first time Lewis has run the bases since he suffered a strained left hamstring in mid-March. Lewis has also taken on-field batting practice and gone through defensive drills this week, so he is making clear progress. That said, it's uncertain when he will be ready for a rehab assignment, so a target for his return to the Twins' lineup remains up in the air.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Begins baseball activities
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Lewis (hamstring) has taken on-field batting practice since Thursday and fielded groundballs in defensive drills Monday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Lewis is demonstrating some signs of progress since he suffered a left hamstring strain March 16. It's not clear when he may begin a rehab assignment, but he could be on track to return from the 10-day injured list in early May.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Weeks away from rehab assignment
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Lewis (hamstring) is likely three weeks away from being cleared to begin a rehab assignment, Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Lewis was officially given the green light to start a running progression Saturday, but he's not yet close to ramping up his baseball activity or seeing live action. Even so, he's been encouraged by the process he's seen thus far in his rehab. "Any time they let me do something more, it's always pretty good," said Lewis. "I'll probably run three days in a row, take a break, then try to get on the bases. It's a long progression." Lewis suffered the left hamstring strain March 16 while running to first base and will presumably need at least a few games in the minors before the club considers activating him from the 10-day injured list.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Doing light activities
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Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Sunday that Lewis has been doing some hitting and running but has had "no change in his status" in his recovery from a moderate hamstring strain, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Lewis suffered the injury in mid-March, and it's not a surprise he's still limited to light activities after just a few weeks. A clearer return timeline could come into focus once the 25-year-old is able to ramp up his baseball work. Brooks Lee (back) is also on the injured list, leaving Jose Miranda and Willi Castro to handle the workload at third base.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Officially placed on IL
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The Twins placed Lewis (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.
A moderate hamstring strain has kept Lewis sidelined since March 16, and he has yet to resume any sort of baseball activities since then, other than throwing. A minimum-length stay on the IL seems unlikely at this point, and he'll remain without a clear return timeline until he advances to the next stage in his rehab.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Sidelined with moderate strain
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The Twins announced Monday that Lewis has been ruled out for Opening Day after an MRI confirmed that he sustained a moderate left hamstring strain during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Minnesota has yet to establish a firm timeline for Lewis' return, but since moderate hamstring strains typically entail a multi-week recovery, the 25-year-old third baseman is a safe bet to begin the season on the injured list. On a positive note, Lewis told Phil Miller of The Minnesota Star Tribune that the soft-tissue injury is "not even close" to being as severe as the quadricep injury he sustained Opening Day of last season, which resulted in him being sidelined for just over two months. Brooks Lee drew the start at third base in Monday's spring game against the Pirates and appears to be leading candidate to serve as the primary option at the hot corner until Lewis is ready to make his 2025 debut.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Set to begin season on IL
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Lewis (hamstring) is expected to begin the season on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Lewis strained his left hamstring strain while running to first base Sunday in the Twins' 6-5 loss to the Red Sox in Grapefruit League play Monday. He's scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury, but he could be out for much of April. He suffered another soft-tissue injury -- a right quadricep strain -- on Opening Day last season and ended up missing 58 games.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Settles with Minnesota
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The Twins and Lewis avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.625 million contract Thursday, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Lewis was in his first year of arbitration eligibility. The talented infielder slashed a disappointing .233/.295/.452 with 16 home runs over 82 games in an injury-shortened 2024 campaign.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Could see more action at keystone
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Lewis could be used more at second base next season, Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
Lewis made one start at the keystone for the Twins in September, his first there at the major-league level. The 25-year-old has graded out well in terms of range at third base but has struggled with his throwing, so second base could be a better fit. How much time Lewis ultimately spends at second base in 2025 might depend on how the Minnesota roster shakes out over the winter.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Starting at second base Wednesday
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Lewis will start at second base and bat second in Wednesday's game versus the Rays.
Lewis played a few innings at second base earlier this week, but this will be his first-ever start at the position at the major-league level. He made one start there at Double-A Pensacola in 2019 and later that year in the Arizona Fall League handled the position on four occasions. Lewis' throwing has been an issue at times from third base, so it's possible second base will be a better fit for him. Whether he will move there on a full-time basis this month isn't clear.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Provides clutch three-run homer
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Lewis went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run and a walk in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Blue Jays.
Lewis had the Twins only extra-base hit of the afternoon, taking Chad Green deep in the eighth to give Minnesota a one-run lead. The home run was Lewis' first since Aug. 12, and Sunday marked his first game reaching base multiple times since then. Perhaps more noteworthy than Lewis' breakthrough performance at the plate was the fact that he played three innings at second base, where he could see more exposure in September as Minnesota looks to see where he and rookie infielder Brooks Lee fit best defensively alongside shortstop Carlos Correa (heel). Though Lewis has met expectations at the plate with an .879 OPS, he's struggled with throwing errors at third base. Lee possesses better arm strength and could be a preferable option at the hot corner to Lewis, whose throwing issues would be a lesser concern at second base.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Receiving Sunday off
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Lewis is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Lewis will sit Sunday after a run of five straight starts, during which he went 4-for-19 with three RBI, three runs and seven strikeouts. Jose Miranda will handle the hot corner and bat third in the series finale versus St. Louis.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Not starting Sunday
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Lewis is absent from Sunday's lineup against Texas.
Lewis will retreat to the dugout for the series finale after going 3-for-11 with two walks and three strikeouts over the first three games against the Rangers. Jose Miranda will start at third base and bat second against Texas right-hander Tyler Mahle.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Goes yard in win
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Lewis went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Monday's 8-3 victory over the Royals.
The Twins slugger manned the hot corner and capped a six-run second inning with his 389-foot, two-run blast off Brady Singer. Lewis later scored his 27th run of the season in the seventh inning via a Manuel Margot sacrifice fly. When playing, the 25-year-old has been a fantasy star, as he now boasts a .279/.356/.664 slash line with 15 homers and 34 RBI across 160 plate appearances in 40 games.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Resting Saturday
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Lewis isn't in the Twins' lineup for Saturday's game against the Guardians.
The Twins will give Lewis a day off Saturday after he played both games of Friday's doubleheader, going 1-for-6 with an RBI and two walks. Jose Miranda will draw the start at third base Saturday and will bat seventh.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Taking seat Wednesday
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Lewis is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs.
After starting in each of the Twins' last eight games while batting .222 with three home runs, two doubles, 11 RBI and six runs, Lewis will get a breather for the Wednesday afternoon contest. Jose Miranda will spell Lewis at third base and bat third.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Goes deep, drives in three
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Lewis went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, three runs scored and a walk in Sunday's win over the White Sox.
Lewis belted a three-run shot during the Twins' six-run second inning. It was his 13th home run of the season and third in nine games since returning from the injured list. Lewis owns an impressive .288/.370/.686 slash line with 21 extra-base hits and 28 RBI through 135 plate appearances. He's up to 30 homers in 103 career MLB contests.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Launches 12th homer in win
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Lewis went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, four RBI and a walk in Friday's 10-2 victory over the White Sox.
Lewis opened the game's scoring when he popped a two-run homer off Davis Martin in the first inning. He picked up two more RBI in the third when he cracked a double. Lewis has collected six extra-base hits -- two homers and four doubles -- in 29 plate appearances since returning from a groin injury July 26. When in the lineup, the Minnesota slugger is a formidable power bat, as he is now slashing .286/.357/.679 across 126 plate appearances this season.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Taking seat Sunday
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Lewis is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Detroit.
Lewis has gone 3-for-9 with a double and a homer in two games since being reinstated from the injured list Friday, and he'll receive a breather for Sunday's series finale. The 25-year-old has played in just 26 contests this year due to injuries, and manager Rocco Baldelli may attempt to keep him fresh with regular days off down the stretch. Jose Miranda will handle the hot corner Sunday while Ryan Jeffers rests his legs as the designated hitter.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Cleared for rehab assignment
Rotowire
Lewis (adductor) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com reports.
Lewis ran the bases and took batting practice during the All-Star break and experienced no setbacks in his recovery from a right adductor strain, clearing the way for him to begin a rehab assignment. He's been sidelined for just three weeks, so Lewis shouldn't require a lengthy rehab assignment before returning from the 10-day injured list and stepping back in as the Twins' everyday third baseman.
