It appears the Twins plan to play Royce Lewis on the right side of the infield going forward, as Lewis started at second base for Triple-A St. Paul on Wednesday and was seen getting work in at first base on Tuesday. Additionally, Luke Keaschall got some pre-game work in at first base on Tuesday. With Brooks Lee now the Twins' primary third baseman, and shortstop Kaelen Culpepper nearing his MLB debut, the right side of the infield will likely soon be held down by Keaschall and Lewis frequently.
Kody Clemens and Josh Bell have been handling the bulk of the first base duties lately. Even with Lewis and/or Keaschall likely to soon start getting some starts at first base for Minnesota, manager Derek Shelton will want to work Clemens into the lineup regularly; the son of legendary pitcher Roger Clemens has slashed .277/.310/.518 with three homers, seven doubles and two triples since May 10. Because Clemens, 30, has logged innings at second base and all outfield positions this year, Shelton shouldn't have a problem working him into the lineup. Meanwhile, Bell may see a significant decrease in playing time if Lewis is called up to play first or second base.
Bell has been a disappointment for Twins
Through April 12, Bell slashed .275/.397/.529 (157 wRC+) with three homers, four doubles and 12 RBI in 16 games. From April 12 through June 2, the veteran hit just .213/.253/.293 (51 wRC+) with two homers, seven doubles and 20 RBI in 43 games. Even though Bell was one of the Twins' more prominent offseason signings, Minnesota may decrease his playing role or even designate him for assignment when Lewis returns. Bell is the Twins' primary DH, a position the Twins may prefer to have more flexibility with.
Minnesota signed Bell to a one-year, $7 million contract in December. It seemed like a solid signing for Minnesota at the time, as the club didn't have a clear starting first baseman and Bell had a solid offensive season in 2025, slashing .237/.325/.417 (107 wRC+) in 140 games with the Washington Nationals. However, the Twins have primarily used Bell as a designated hitter due to his poor defensive metrics. Even if Minnesota always planned to use Bell as a DH, the team had appeared to need an offensive boost. Unfortunately, Bell hasn't been able to provide that boost and has instead hurt the team with his struggles at the plate. However, he's gone 9-for-26 over his past seven games, so maybe he's turning a corner.
The Twins are slated to begin a four-game set with the Kansas City Royals at Target Field on Thursday. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:40 p.m. CDT and will be available to stream on Twins.TV.
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