Exactly one year to the day after tearing his ACL and cutting his debut with the Minnesota Twins short, Royce Lewis made the most of his second chance.
It’s not often that players are allowed to reintroduce themselves, but Lewis did that and more in Monday’s comeback win over the Astros. Lewis arguably won the game for Minnesota single handidly, batting in four runs including a clutch game-tying single in the top of the ninth inning to force extra innings.
Even in extras Lewis made his presence felt, recording the second out in the bottom of the tenth to help secure the win.
All of this happened not only in his season debut with the Twins but a year to the day when all was lost and his future seemed to be in serious doubt. It’s not that Lewis couldn’t bounce back from an ACL injury, but everything about the injury made it feel like the world was crashing down.
It was the second ACL injury Lewis had suffered and raised concern about whether he’d ever be able to catch a break long enough to prove he can be an impact player for the Twins. Lewis gave fans a heavy dose of that impact on Monday, and had one of the most triumphant — and cathartic — comebacks in recent memory.
Royce Lewis dropped epic reaction to his return to Twins lineup
After the game, Lewis wasn’t shy about expressing how excited he was to be back and celebrating his amazing day in Houston.
Specifically talking about his clutch game-tying RBI in the ninth, Lewis gave a quote that will be music to the ears of Twins fans.
”I wanted to be up there in the ninth and I knew I was going to get the job done,” Lewis said to Bally Sports North after the win. “That’s what I live and dream for, that’s what I want and I want to be in those situations. I was looking for that slider from Pressley and he gave it to me.”
For the record, the smile on Lewis’ face the entire time he’s delivering these quotes was yet another sight for sore eyes in Twins Territory.
"I wanted to be up there in the 9th and I knew I was going to get the job done."
— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) May 29, 2023
Royce Lewis spoke with @Audra_Martin after his memorable return to the lineup. 🔊#MNTwins | #MLB pic.twitter.com/taATy6BgmD
Driving in four runs is impressive enough on its own, but the Twins do not win Monday’s game without Lewis. That’s both a blessing and a curse, as Lewis needing to account for almost all of Minnesota’s offense is a painful reminder of how putrid it’s been as of late.
His return ot the Twins lineup couldn’t come at a better time, and hopefully the spark he provided to power Minnesota to a win on Monday finally ignites the offense.