Twins Activate Royce Lewis After Hamstring Recovery

Royce Lewis Activated from Injured List, To Make Season Debut Tuesday

Lewis, 25, is expected to resume his role as the Twins’ starting third baseman and a middle-of-the-order bat. His .265/.328/.493 slash line and 16 homers in 82 games last season highlight his power potential, though injuries have limited him to 140 games since his 2022 debut. “Royce brings energy and pop we’ve missed,” manager Rocco Baldelli told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “He’s a difference-maker when healthy.”

Drafted in 2017 with the first overall pick, Lewis figured to be a game-changer in the Twin Cities. He worked his way through their minor league system at a steady pace, but obstacles such as an ACL tear, a quad injury, and now the hamstring injury have significantly hampered his playing time. Lewis made his biggest impact for the Twins to date in 2023. He hit a franchise record four grand slams that season, including two in back-to-back games.

President of baseball operations Derek Falvey expressed optimism on Lewis’s return, saying, “Royce’s return could change things for us,” per ClutchPoints. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi noted Lewis’s knack for clutch homers, referencing his 2023 postseason heroics. The Twins, 8-5 in their last 13 games, hope Lewis is the spark Minnesota needs to ignite a push toward the top of the AL Central. To make room on the roster, infielders Mickey Gasper and Edouard Julien were optioned to Triple-A.