Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis began his rehab assignment as Triple-A St. Paul's designated hitter on Saturday. In his first plate appearance of the game, on a 2-2 count, Lewis hit a two-run home run on a slider below the zone off Lehigh Valley IronPigs righty Ryan Cusick.
ROYCE LEWIS WASTES NO TIME! @cubfoods pic.twitter.com/RzHcPAVa9e
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) April 18, 2026
Lewis had three more plate appearances in the game and failed to reach base in all of them. However, he hit a 104.2-mph groundout in his last plate appearance. Based on his performance on Saturday, Lewis looks ready to continue making a positive impact at the plate for the Twins when he returns from the injured list. In 12 games with Minnesota this year, Lewis has posted an .822 OPS with two homers, two doubles and eight RBI.
Per MLB.com, Lewis expects to return from the injured list on the first day he is eligible, April 21 vs. the Mets in New York. He'll likely be the Saints' third baseman in their series finale against the IronPigs today before rejoining the Twins.
After winning eight of nine games, the Twins have lost three in a row; Minnesota lost to the Boston Red Sox 9-5 on Friday before losing two straight to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday (2-1) and Saturday (5-4). Lewis' return could be just what the team needs to get back on track. Playing the Mets could also be what Minnesota needs to get back in the win column, as New York has lost 10 straight games.
Twins' Derek Shelton's lineup choice proves James Outman will likely be DFA'd when Lewis returns
Shelton gave center fielder Byron Buxton a day off in the field on Saturday by having the star serve as the designated hitter. Rather than have Outman start in center field, the Twins had utilityman Ryan Kreidler start at the position. Granted, a lefty in Andrew Abbott made the start for the Reds and Outman bats from the left side. Still, Kreidler has been getting more playing time than Outman lately and has a 1.103 OPS in 18 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Outman is hitless in 20 plate appearances with just two walks this season.
Since Kreidler can play center field and all infield positions besides first base, he provides more defensive versatility than Outman, who can only play outfield. If the Twins want to keep Kreidler and get rid of Outman upon Lewis' return, Minnesota will have to designate Outman for assignment since he's out of minor-league options. There's a good chance Outman would clear waivers, which would allow the Twins to stash him in Triple-A.
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