Royce Lewis Leaves Game Early with Hamstring Strain: What This Means for the Team

The Twins are facing a tough situation after third baseman Royce Lewis injured his hamstring while running out a ground ball. As reported by Betsy Helfand from the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the team announced that Lewis is dealing with a hamstring strain. We don’t know yet how serious it is, but with Opening Day less than two weeks away, it’s likely he will be sidelined for a while.

Lewis, 25, has shown a lot of promise, being the first overall pick in the 2017 draft and a top prospect in 2019. However, injuries have plagued his career, notably a right ACL tear that led to missing the entire 2021 season. He made his big league debut in 2022 but suffered another ACL tear soon after, keeping him off the field until late May of this year. Due to various injuries, he’s played only 140 games and had 564 plate appearances over the past two seasons. Despite these setbacks, he has still performed well, batting .265 with a 127 wRC+.

After having a healthy offseason, players and fans were excited for Lewis to finally have a full season. Unfortunately, this latest injury is likely to keep him off the Opening Day roster. Given his history of lower-body injuries, the team will probably take a cautious approach. We might not know how long he’ll be out until more information about the strain comes in.

A silver lining for the Twins is that they have solid backup options. Jose Miranda is expected to take over at third base. He had a productive .284 batting average in 121 games last season, bouncing back from a rough 2023. If he struggles, the Twins have flexibility. Brooks Lee, who is set to play second base, could move to third, allowing for Edouard Julien or top prospect Luke Keaschall to step in at second.

Additionally, Willi Castro, a versatile player without a set position, is on the roster. He’s valuable as a utility player and can fill in anywhere on the field. If he moves to the infield more often, that would free up space in the outfield for promising talents like DaShawn Keirsey, Austin Martin, or even top minor league prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez.

Injuries are always frustrating for teams and fans alike, but the Twins seem prepared to handle this setback. It’s crucial for players like Lewis to recover fully to have a lasting impact on the team. For now, all eyes will be on how quickly he can bounce back and return to the field.

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