Royce Lewis is providing a boost for Twins at pivotal time, but he's not the only one
As the Twins aim to make a push for the playoffs and try to stay atop the AL Central, the team is getting a big boost from Jorge Polanco and Royce Lewis since both came off the IL.
As the Minnesota Twins navigate one of the, if not the, most important series they've played this season, there are a handful of players who have helped the team stay afloat and stay atop of the American League Central Division as of late.
Holding a single-digit lead over the Cleveland Guardians entering Tuesday, the Twins have made their way to Cleveland where they kicked off a three-game series in hopes of extending that lead and increasing their odds to make the playoffs.
With every game being important, especially their final three with the Guardians, two players in particular have helped provide a spark for the team at a pivotal time after both players came off IL stints.
Vintage Jorge Polanco is showing up at the exact right time
The first is Jorge Polanco, who has battled hamstring issues this year and most recently was activated from the IL on July 28.
In 33 games since Polanco has returned to the Twins' lineup, the 30-year-old is slashing .280/.400/.500 with five doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBI, 23 walks, 36 strikeouts, a wRC+ of 150 and has reached base at least once in 13 straight games.
With a team that has struggled against left-handed pitching, Polanco's line of .289/.316/.474 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 37 games against southpaws is a welcomed and much-needed return to the lineup.
Not only has Polanco found overall success since coming back from injury, but he has also picked up timely hits for the Twins as well.
In a four-game home series against the Texas Rangers from Aug. 24-27, Polanco went 6-16 with a home run, three walks and drove in a pair of runs. His long ball came against Max Scherzer to tie the game at 2-2 in the sixth inning, and he was a key contributor in boosting the Twins to three victories during the series.
Recently, Polanco blasted a three-run homer on Aug. 28 where he put the game out of reach for good in the Twins' lone win their last time out against the Guardians.
With the important series at Cleveland underway, Polanco welcomed Lucas Giolito back to the AL Central by smacking a solo shot to put the Twins up 1-0 in the first and ended his night going 3-3 with a walk and two RBI.
Royce Lewis looks like the Prince Who Was Promised
Also providing a spark for the team is Royce Lewis and he has done it in historical fashion. After missing 36 games with an oblique injury, the former top overall draft pick has been swining a hot bat for the Twins.
In 17 games since returning to the lineup, Lewis is slashing .306/.375/.639 with 22 hits which includes three doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBI, seven walks, 14 strikeouts, a wRC+ of 175 and a .424 wOBA.
Most notably, Lewis became the first players in Twins history to hit a grand slam in back-to-back games, which he accomplished on Aug. 27-28 against the Rangers and Guardians, respectively.
His first slam against the Rangers came in the bottom of the sixth with the Twins trailing 5-0 to trim their deficit to one run, eventually leading the way to a 7-6 victory. One day later, his slam gave the Twins a 6-4 lead in the second inning against the Guardians, which also led to an eventual Minnesota victory.
Lately, it seems like Lewis is frequently up at the plate during key moments, and all he has done is deliver for the team when they need it the most.
Even though the Twins fell to the Rangers on Sunday, Lewis tied the game with a three-run blast in the top of the fifth then tied the game again with an RBI single in the top of the eighth.
On Monday night, Lewis did it again when he hit his third grand slam of the season to put the Twins up 6-0 over the Guardians in the top of the second inning. Although he had another chance with the bases loaded later in the game, he had to settle for a two-run single as part of a 3-4 and six RBI night.
Despite playing in just 44 games this year, Lewis has totaled an fWAR of 1.6 and 150 wRC+ while slashing .317/.363/.545 with 11 home runs and 39 RBI.
Coming off two ACL tears and then an oblique injury this year, it was fair if fans posed the question of "what if?" with Lewis and his Twins career thus far.
However, since making his way back to the diamond in 2023 Lewis continues to show how bright of a future he can have and how important he can be to the team if he is able to stay healthy.
Regardless of his history and his path to this point, the run that Royce Lewis is on has been an exciting one and should have fans salivating at the thought of his potential in the Twin Cities.
Both Polanco and Lewis once again provided a boost to the Twins on Monday when they opened the series with a commanding 20-6 win over the Guardians. The pair have helped the Twins hold a current six-game lead over their division rivals and they will look to continue to be a force as the Twins aim to put the division out of reach.
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