Twins fans were panicking when third baseman Royce Lewis, who is frequently injured, was scratched from Minnesota's spring training matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday due to right-side tightness. Luckily, an MRI revealed no major injury for the 26-year-old.
Lewis had appeared in just two games this spring before being scratched last Thursday. He went 2-for-2 with a solo homer, an RBI single and a stolen base against the Boston Red Sox on Feb. 21, then went 0-for-3 against the Tampa Bay Rays on Feb. 24.
Twins' Royce Lewis' strong spring training performance against Rays puts fans at ease after injury scare
Minnesota's third baseman finally got another spring training start against the Rays on Tuesday. He collected one walk, a stolen base and two sacrifice flies to center field, one of which Lewis hit 363 feet at 104.8 mph. Tampa Bay won the game by a score of 5-3.
The fact that Lewis stole a base after his injury scare is a great sign for the third baseman, who was notably less mobile than usual when he was on the field last year due to injuries.
Because he struggled to remain healthy, Lewis appeared in just 106 games last season and 82 games in 2024. Even though it didn't seem like anything major when Lewis was scratched last week, his injury history made it difficult for fans not to worry. After his performance on Tuesday, fans can relax a bit.
The fact that Pablo López will miss the entire 2026 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure added to fans' uneasiness after Lewis was scratched last week. David Festa is also expected to begin the season on the IL after suffering a right shoulder impingement. Additionally, Joe Ryan was scratched from his first scheduled Grapefruit League start with low back tightness. Luckily, Ryan is already throwing and is expected to make his 2026 spring training debut soon. However, he is no longer going to pitch for Team USA in pool play during the World Baseball Classic, but he may be available for later rounds.
As long as he's healthy, Lewis looks poised to have a strong 2026 season. He had been working with Houston-based hitting coach Jeremy Isenhower during the offseason, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale. Isenhower was recommended to Lewis by Kansas City Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and former Twins infielder Jorge Polanco. With Isenhower's help, Lewis is hoping to have a more consistent swing and approach this season. We can already see the work paying off early this spring.