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It may be time for Twins to make a tough Royce Lewis decision

The third baseman has been in a rut at the plate since returning from the IL.
ByJackson Kruse|
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Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third base Royce Lewis (23) exits the field after striking out against Kansas City Royals pitcher Hunter Harvey (not pictured) in the seventh inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third base Royce Lewis (23) exits the field after striking out against Kansas City Royals pitcher Hunter Harvey (not pictured) in the seventh inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

It may be time for the Twins to demote third baseman Royce Lewis to Triple-A St. Paul.

It's no secret that Lewis has had a rough season thus far. Before landing on the injured list with a left knee sprain on April 11, the 2017 first overall pick posted an .822 OPS with two homers, two doubles and eight RBI in 45 plate appearances across 12 games to begin the season. After being reinstated from the IL on April 21, Lewis has posted an awful .122/.159/.195 slash line with a -7 wRC+, 34.1% strikeout rate and just one extra-base hit in 44 plate appearances across 11 games. Overall, the third baseman is slashing .169/.270/.312 with a 64 wRC+ in 23 games this year.

Lewis' struggles have gotten so bad that manager Derek Shelton has left the third baseman out of the starting lineup four times, including Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals, since he has returned from the IL. Lewis has also been a poor defender this year, posting -2 Defensive Runs Saved and -4 Outs Above Average (third percentile).

It's not uncommon for Lewis to get in a funk after returning from an injury. Still, his recent struggles are impossible to ignore. The Twins' brass may need to make the tough decision to option Lewis to Triple-A St. Paul. Shelton would likely be on board with that plan, given the number of times he has left Lewis out of the starting lineup lately.

Lewis still has the potential to be the player we all saw him be in 2023, when he hit .309/.372/.548 with a 152 wRC+, 15 home runs and 52 RBI in 239 plate appearances over 58 games. Unfortunately, Lewis has hit just .228/.286/.405 (91 wRC+) in 817 plate appearances since his outstanding 2023 season. He's shown flashes of excellence over the past few years, but the Twins must do something to address his overall poor numbers.

Lewis is a young man, but not by baseball standards. He turns 27 next month. The Twins need to figure out soon if he will be able to re-unlock the best version of himself. Giving Lewis time to boost his confidence by mashing Triple-A pitching could be exactly what he needs.

Twins should consider swapping Lewis with top infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper

If the Twins decide to option Lewis to Triple-A soon, the team could promote Culpepper, MLB Pipeline's No. 44 overall prospect, to take the struggling third baseman's spot on the 26-man roster. Culpepper has hit .252/.343/.479 with seven homers, six doubles, 21 RBI and six stolen bases in 137 plate appearances across 29 games for the Saints this season. Culpepper could either take Lewis' spot at third base or take over the shortstop position while Lee, a poor defensive shortstop, slides over to third.

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