Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday that the team has not yet determined which position Lewis will play next season, Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul reports.
Lewis has been taking grounders on both sides of the second-base bag this offseason, but whether the 25-year-old ultimately settles in at third base or second base in 2025 will be decided "when we see what our roster overall is gonna look like," per Baldelli. The skipper did respond with "he can do it" when asked about Lewis' ability to handle second base. Lewis made one start at the keystone in 2024, with his other 49 starts in the field coming at third base.
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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: Getting breather Wednesday
Rotowire
Lewis is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus Atlanta.
Lewis is going through a rare slump at the plate, having posted a .458 OPS with no home runs and a 16:2 K:BB over his last 55 plate appearances. He'll get a day off to reset. Jose Miranda will start at third base for the Twins on Wednesday.
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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: Smacks 11th home run
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Lewis went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Saturday's loss to the Tigers.
Lewis was reinstated from the injured list Friday, and it took him six at-bats to hit another long ball. He now has 11 home runs in 26 games this season and 26 homers in 84 games dating back to last season. The 25-year-old's struggles staying on the field are well documented, but when he's active, he's a must-start. Lewis has homered every 12 at-bats over the last two seasons, which only trails Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani in that span among players with a minimum of 200 at-bats.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Cleared for rehab assignment
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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.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Could begin rehab assignment soon
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Lewis (adductor) is expected to head out on a brief minor-league rehab assignment next week, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
Lewis started running and taking batting practice during the All-Star break, and he may need only a few games in the minors before he's activated from the 10-day injured list. He's on the IL for the second time this season, after he had previously missed nearly 10 weeks due to a strained right quadricep, which he suffered Opening Day.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Lands on IL with adductor strain
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The Twins placed Lewis on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a right adductor strain.
The 25-year-old was removed from Tuesday's game against the Detroit due to left groin tightness, but it's now being reported as a right adductor injury. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Lewis is dealing with a Grade 2 strain and will be sidelined through the All-Star break before being reevaluated. Even in a best-case scenario, he'll likely miss some time beyond that while building back up to game readiness. Prospect Brooks Lee was called up in a corresponding move and should take over as Minnesota's primary third baseman while Lewis is out.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Set for MRI on groin injury
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Lewis is set to undergo an MRI and additional testing for the left groin injury he suffered in Tuesday's win over Detroit, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports. "This is out of my control," Lewis said. "So what I can control, I'm very happy about, but this is out of my control. I have no idea. But probably not very optimistic, to be honest with you. I'm praying, but it's usually always horrible news. So we'll see."
Lewis suffered the injury after legging out a double in the third inning and played two more innings in the field before departing. It sounds like Lewis may be headed for an injured list stint based on his comments, but more will known after the MRI.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Exits with groin tightness
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Lewis was removed from Tuesday's game versus the Tigers due to left groin tightness, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.
It's unclear exactly when Lewis suffered the injury, though it's possible he may have tweaked his groin running out of the batter's box during his last at-bat in the third inning. The Twins are considering him day-to-day, so there's a chance he was simply removed as a precaution given his injury history.
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Twins' Royce Lewis: Receiving breather
Rotowire
Lewis is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against Seattle.
Lewis will get his first day off since June 14, giving way to Jose Miranda at third base Saturday. After hitting nine home runs across his first 16 games of June, Lewis has just one hit in his last 21 at-bats.
