MN Twins Trying Out Infield Options with Lewis Mashing

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Luke Keaschall, Minnesota Twins
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Royce Lewis was demoted by the Minnesota Twins a few weeks ago now. All he has done since going to Triple-A is mash baseballs. There have been tweaks to his swing that have facilitated that, and hitting against minor league pitchers has certainly helped to boost his confidence at the plate.

Whatever it is, we need more of it. Lewis hit another grand slam on Wednesday, raising his batting average to .353 and OPS to 1.395. After just 13 games down in the minors, the former No. 1 overall pick is banging down the big league door with determination and desperation.

If he’s going to come back up, however, he needs to find a spot on the right side of the infield, after the Twins moved Brooks Lee to third base. That’s why, on Wednesday, Lewis started at second base for the first time in two seasons, and he’s also been getting some practice reps at first base.

Clearly, positional flexibility is going to be the name of the game for Royce Lewis, if he wants to work his way back into Minnesota big league infield, which is being built around the eventual call-up of top prospect, shortstop Kaelen Culpepper.

Luke Keaschall getting work at 1B for Minnesota Twins

However, Royce Lewis isn’t the only MN Twins infielder trying out new positions. Since his promotion to the big leagues, the only position Luke Keaschall has played is second base. The 23-year-old has played outfield throughout his pro career, as well, and did get some run in left field as recently as spring training.

Unfortunately, a UCL injury during Keaschall’s 2024 minor league season has limited his usage to the right side of the infield during games that matter. And at least for now, it appears that’s where he’ll stay, though he too is getting reps at first base, just like Lewis is down in St. Paul.

Luke Keaschall has played exclusively second base for the Twins since debuting last season, but recently he’s gotten some pregame work at first base, a position he played semi-regularly for Double-A Wichita in 2024 while limited by an elbow injury.

Aaron Gleeman

How soon, if ever, Shelton deploys Keaschall at first base remains to be seen. So far, he has opted for Orlando Arcia as a platoon player there, in tandem with Kody Clemens.

It’s possible Luke is getting more acclimated to first base, because the Twins plan to play Royce Lewis at second base, once he is back up. It’s also plausible they are looking for an interim solution, until until then.

Either way, we’ll be watching the lineups at both Minneapolis and St. Paul over the weekend to try and get more hints into Shelton’s thought process. It’s worth noting too, that Luke Keaschall hasn’t played like the top prospect that blew up on the scene last summer.

Luke Keaschall trying to get off struggle bus

Things haven’t gotten substantially better for Keaschall defensively at second base. He has been worth -3 DRS (defensive runs saved), -2 OAA (outs above average), and -1 FRV (fielding run value) this season. Moving him to first base could mitigate defensive issues that have plagued the Twins as Lewis is better with the glove.

It’s also possible that Lewis himself winds up at first base. He has been worth -1 DRS, -2 OAA, and -2 FRV at third base this season. While he could handle second, first would be less physically demanding and could help him to focus more on run production offensively.

At any rate, we are getting close to an infield that should include Brooks Lee, Keaschall, Lewis, and Kaelen Culpepper. The left side of that foursome is straightforward to pick out. It’s the right side that remains to be determined.

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