Minnesota Twins starting lineup vs. New York Yankees, June 4th: Royce Lewis returns
- Minnesota begins a three-game series against the Yankees tonight
- Royce Lewis is making his first start since March 28th
- Here's everything to know
Let's not stand on ceremony here: Royce Lewis back in the Minnesota Twins lineup for the first time in almost 70 days.
We haven't seen Lewis since he left three innings into Opening Day's win over the Kansas City Royals after he strained his right quad. It was a crushing blow, as Lewis started his season by hitting a home run and then reaching base on a single in his first two at-bats of the year -- and those remain his only at-bats on the season so far.
He's going to add to that total tonight against the New York Yankees, as his return to the lineup couldn't be coming at a better time. Minnesota is off to its third-best start since 2000, even if things have felt much bumpier than that along the way.
For as tough as certain stretches of the season have been so far, none of it has featured Lewis in the lineup and he's expected to have an instant impact. The chance of doing that in the Bronx only adds to the anticipation of his return.
Twins vs. Yankees probable starting pitchers, June 4
Bailey Ober (5-3, 4.89 ERA) will be on the mound to try and ride the wave of momentum following the return of Lewis to the lineup. A good start against the Yankees is something Ober could use right now, as he's both struggled in his last starts and hasn't been that great on the road this season.
Last time out he gave up six runs in six innings to the Royals, but it seems Kansas City just has his number for some reason. He was a lot better against Texas, pitching five innings and allowing just a pair of runs, but he has a 5.52 ERA on the road this season and hasn't truly looked dominant since his win over the Blue Jays on May 12th.
Going up against him will be Luis Gil (7-1, 1.99 ERA) who is already the bane of existence to Twins fans even before facing him. He's 4-0 at home with a 1.27 ERA at Yankee Stadium this year, which is going to be a true Welcome Back moment for Royce Lewis one way or another.
Twins fans are extra annoyed over Gil's hot start, as he was traded to the Yankees by Minnesota back in 2018 in exchange for Jake Cave. That's going to be the context lurking in the background all night, and will color the frustration of a loss if that's the way the game breaks.
Minnesota Twins starting lineup vs. Yankees, June 4
Everyone wants to watch the Twins beat the Yankees tonight, but the headline is Royce Lewis returning. He'll be batting fifth, which is hopefully going to add exactly the kind of pop Minnesota needs to punch New York back after what happened last time around.
Here's tonight's lineup:
- Trevor Larnach, DH
- Carlos Correa, SS
- Jose Miranda, 1B
- Max Kepler, RF
- Royce Lewis, 3B
- Alex Kirilloff, LF
- Byron Buxton, CF
- Willi Castro, 2B
- Christian Vazquez, C
How to watch Minnesota Twins game today?
It's another nationally televised game for the Twins, making it back-to-back apperances on potentially easily accesible channels for fans. Roku isn't exactly widely used for its live streaming but even that was less difficult to find than trying to seek out Bally Sports North.
Tonight's game will be on TBS, which means the sweet sounds of Brian Anderson calling the game will serve as an alternative to the local broadcast. The game is still airing on Bally Sports North with Corey Provus on the call.
- Game time: 6:05 pm CT
- Date: Tuesday, June 4, 2024
- Location: Bronx, NY
- Stadium: Yankee Stadium
- Local TV Channel: Bally Sports North
- National TV: TBS
Here are some streaming options, just to make sure all of your bases are covered.
The game is also going to be streamed on HBO Max, since it's a Turner Sports broadcast, so be sure to check that too if you can't use any of the other options listed.
What time is the Minnesota Twins game today?
After a string of mostly day games, the Twins are back under the lights tonight in the Bronx. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05pm CT, which is going to be the start time for all three games of this upcoming series.
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