Minnesota Twins fans only got to see three innings of Royce Lewis on Opening Day, and it only took about that many innings for him to establish that he was back on Tuesday night.
Lewis returned to the lineup after missing the last two months with a right quad strain he suffered back on March 28th. It was a massive blow to the Twins season mere innings after it had started, and was likely a big reason why the team limped out a 7-13 record.
It's no doubt been a bumpy ride, with the Twins going on a 12-game winning streak while also falling into losing streaks of five or more games twice. Lewis is returning to a team that is on an upswing, and he started contributing almost immediately.
Everyone expected him to re-introduce himself with his bat, but instead Lewis reminded everyone just how good he can be with his glove.
Royce Lewis turns in a highlight reel play in his first game back with Twins
In the fourth inning, Lewis made a diving stop at third to throw out Gleyber Torres all the way across the diamond. While the initial call on the field was that Torres beat the throw, Rocco Baldelli challenged the ruling and ended up winning.
Lewis was simply so spectacular on defense that the human eye couldn't comprehend it in real time.
Good to see ya, Royce!!! pic.twitter.com/i2KUSOf6aT
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 5, 2024
Lewis made his mark offensively last season, helping lift the Twins to their deepest postseason run since 2002. That power is what everyone was expecting to see in his return, but seeing him do what he did on defense is yet another reminder of just how good of an all-around player Lewis is.
He also made his presence felt at hte plate, too.
Lewis homered and singled in his first at-bats of the season on Opening Day before needing to be taken out of action. He kept his knack for getting on-base going against the Yankees on Tuesday, walking in his first two at-bats of the game.
He also hit a home run in his first game back, for good measure.
I love Royce Lewis so much pic.twitter.com/A69jTwqT1a
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 5, 2024
There was a rather significant gap between games, but the fact that Lewis reached base in four straight at-bats is nevertheless impressive. Watching him combine his plate discipline with elite defending is just another reason for Twins fans to be ecstatic that he's back.