Royce Lewis Return Timeline Coming into Focus

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Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins
Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

After missing two months to start the season, with a strained left hamstring, Royce Lewis was placed back on the injured list over the weekend with the save injury. It happened in deja vu fashion too, after the freshly-turned 26-year-old infielder ripped a ball to left field in the ninth inning Friday against the Houston Astros.

Instead of cruising into second base for what should have been a double, Lewis pulled up limp halfway up the first base line, just like he did when he suffered his hamstring strain during spring training. Walking back to first base, Royce tried to play it off like it was nothing. Unfortunately, an MRI the next day said different.

Obviously, seeing Lewis go back on the IL is difficult, not just as a fan, but as a human. This kid just cannot catch a break. To make matters worse, the timing could not be worse, being Royce Lewis is just one of a few key Twins recently placed on injured list, the other two being ace Pablo Lopez and top starter prospect Zebby Matthews.

Royce Lewis injury timeline revealed…

Immediately after Lewis’ latest hamstring strain, the Minnesota Twins diagnosed it as a milder version, compared to the moderate strain he suffered in March. Unfortunately, over the last 12 hours, it’s become pretty clear that his return to the lineup appears to be several weeks away.

Royce Lewis - Toronto Blue Jays at Minnesota Twins
Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

According to The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman, Royce Lewis is not expected to return until after the MLB All-Star Break, which takes place from July 14-16. If the Twins insider is right and Lewis is ready to return on July 18, when Minnesota opens its second-half slate in Colorado, that would put Lewis’ return at four-five weeks from his date of injury (June 14).

Lewis has played just 182 of 530 possible games (34 percent) since making his highly anticipated Twins debut on May 6, 2022, and he’s facing another extended absence that might keep him out through the All-Star break in mid-July.

Aaron Gleeman – The Athletic

Related: Minnesota Twins Top Prospect Finally Coming Off Injured List

His spring training injury took place on March 16. After six weeks of rest and recovery, Lewis started his rehab assignment on April 25 and he was activated off the injured list twelve days later, on May 6. In total, Royce spent seven weeks and two days on the IL. This time around, it looks like he’ll be there at least 5 weeks, following a likely rehab assignment.

That July 18 game vs the Rockies will be the Minnesota Twins’ 97th of the season. That would give Lewis 65 games of runway, before what we hope will be another Twins playoff run. Royce has played 30 games so far this season.

Minnesota Twins need a healthy, productive Lewis for postseason success

So if this return timeline holds, he could still surpass his career-high of 82 games played in a season, which came last year. Of course, staying healthy has been a pretty big ask, to this point in the young man’s career.

Lewis currently has just a .202/.282/.303 slash line this season. As the calendar turned to June though, Royce started to heat up. In fact, the Minnesota Twins third baseman slashed .367/.457/.533 slash line, in 10 games this month, including a pair of doubles and a home run.

Obviously the constant starting and stopping during his professional career is weighing heavily on Royce Lewis, who has superstar written all over him, if only his body would allow for his talent to take over.

“I think it’s frustrating in general. I’m tired of being the one that’s getting bullied and picked on by this game. It feels like, whether it wants me to suffer on the offensive side or when I’m going hot it just wants to kick me out with an injury. Seems like it’s just picking on me at this moment. I’m just waiting for one of my friends to pick me up and stop this bully.”

Royce Lewis – Twins TV

The reality for the Minnesota Twins is that their best chance to make noise during the regular season, let alone the postseason, is to have a healthy and productive Royce Lewis big three (Lewis, Buxton, Correa). Unfortunately, that has proven to be much easier to imagine in theory, than it has been to watch it play out in reality.

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