They sorted out Justin Topa’s contract situation, avoiding arbitration with the 34-year-old righty reliever by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2 million. They also traded for a new backup catcher, in 29-year-old veteran Alex Jackson.

No non-tenders for Minnesota Twins, including Trevor Larnach

The acquisition of Jackson made for seven Twins players who needed to be tendered or signed, before Friday’s arbitration deadline.

After some rumblings that Trevor Larnach could be on his way out, Minnesota opted to tender the corner outfielder, along with the other five arb-eligible Twins remaining after Topa signed his deal Thursday.

Aside from Trevor Larnach, the #MNTwins offered a contract to everyone else — Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Cole Sands, Alex Jackson, Ryan Jeffers and Royce Lewis –after DFA'ing DaShawn Keirsey Jr. earlier in the day.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) November 21, 2025

Trevor Larnach: Tendered. #MNTwins

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) November 21, 2025

MLB Trade Rumors projects Trevor Larnach’s 2026 salary at $4.7 million. He made $2.5 million in 2025. It’s not that the salary increase is substantial, but for a team that looks destined to have a bottom-of-the-barrel payroll , it still seems unlikely he’ll be in Fort Myers for Spring Training.

Larnach is a left-handed outfielder on a team with a boatload of left-handed outfielders. Across 442 big league games he has a .241/.323/.403 split with a 101 OPS+.

Back-to-back days with a home run for Trevor! pic.twitter.com/qdqbiIApmv

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 5, 2025

Larnach’s 116 OPS+ in 2024 was a career-best. Unfortunately the development didn’t continue, and he’s hardly been the exit velocity power hitter that the front office dreamed on when grabbing him out of Oregon State in the first round.

Derek Falvey has been shopping Larnach long before Friday, and those conversations can now continue this winter. It’s unlikely Larnach generates anything substantial in return, if the Twins can indeed find a trade partner.

Other MN Twins tendered

The other tender candidates include Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, who are both penciled in as front-line starters in next year’s rotation… if the MN Twins don’t trade them first. Sands is the top member of a gutted bullpen, along with Topa. Both Jeffers and Lewis will be every day starters.

Rodriguez put up an MVP-worthy performance while playing at Citi Field in Lidom action. Lewis also brought home the hardware after he teamed up with former Twins outfielder Aaron Hicks.

Royce Lewis and Aaron Hicks star on the links

This offseason Major League Baseball put together their first golf tournament. Appropriately named the MLB open, players and alumni affiliated with franchises were paired together representing all 30 teams. While the Minnesota Twins struggled on the field last year, Royce Lewis and Aaron Hicks were champs on the links.

Royce Lewis and Aaron Hicks teamed up to win the first ever MLB Open! pic.twitter.com/aYGcrC54xw

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) November 19, 2025

Aaron Hicks was the 14th overall pick back in 2008 and played for the franchise during his first three seasons. He spent eight seasons with the New York Yankees and also played for both the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels.

Hicks didn’t play last season in the majors, and the 38-year-old may be turning his focus to the links anyways. The former Minnesota Twins outfielder has long wanted to look into a golf career, and his talent has been evident for some time.

Royce Lewis played in a career-high 106 games for the Twins last season. His 83 OPS+ was a career-low, and getting back to his dominant self will be key if Derek Shelton’s team is going to compete in 2026. Clearly Lewis is also a star on the golf course as well.

A healthy offseason is a positive for Lewis, and he’ll be looking to come into Spring Training ready to rock. He suffered a hamstring injury towards the end of Grapefruit League action last year, and it nagged him to the point of aggravation during the season.

Minnesota found a way to keep Byron Buxton healthy last season. They’ll need to do that for Lewis in 2026 as well.

Of course, we all wonder what the long-term future looks like, and whether it will include the Pohlads at all (hopefully not). But for now, there’s no time to worry about that because MN Twins fans are stuck concerning themselves with the more immediate future.

As of this morning, we still have no idea what the 2026 player budget will look like. And we found out earlier this week thanks to Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic) week that Falvey doesn’t know either, because the Pohlads haven’t told him, as they await approval of two new minority ownership groups they hope to bring on ASAP.

While the roster is frozen in time, however, the Twins have been shuffling around their managerial staff like a worn out deck of cards. There will be a ton of new faces in Minnesota’s dugout next season, but the headliner is at manager where former bench coach Derek Shelton has replaced his former boss (and good friend), Rocco Baldelli.

Royce Lewis 100% in on MN Twins new manager

But if there’s one guy who’s already buying whatever Shelton is selling as this team’s new manager in bulk, it’s former No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis. Dan Hayes (The Athletic) is reporting Saturday that Lewis met for dinner (BBQ) this week with his new skipper.

How did it go? Well, the only way to describe Royce’s feelings for Shelton after their first meeting is “head over heels”. And that might be understating it because the 26-year-old oft-injured third baseman is talking like a giddy teenager who thinks he just met “the one”.

“We started off building a really good relationship. [Shelton] told me I was important to him and our organization. I told him at points last year I didn’t feel like that. It was really important to me to feel that kind of confidence. I told him that part of me is a little bit of a wide receiver mentality, to where I need to be talked to and just told what’s going on, what the plan is for myself, for the organization, and to be involved just a little bit.”

Royce Lewis (via The Athletic)

There’s really no questioning the type of hire Shelton is. He’s a comfort hire. Falvey’s friendship with Derek was undoubtedly a huge factor in his hiring. Nonetheless, it became clear the moment he cracked the mic during his opening press conference that Derek Shelton is NOT Rocco Baldelli.

The Minnesota Twins’ new manager is loud, has a deep voice and the type of personality that commands a room — none of which were qualities used to describe his predecessor. Only time will tell whether or not any of that will lead to success, and the odds are certainly stacked against that happening.

Minnesota is home for the Shelton family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/y77bdTD9Gp

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) November 7, 2025

Royce Lewis pumped for fresh start with Derek Shelton

If you’ll remember, a frustrated Royce Lewis has been quoted multiple times over the past couple seasons voicing issues with a variety of things that rubbed him the wrong way playing for the Minnesota Twins.

With Hayes, and in his conversation with Shelton, Lewis went as far as to compare himself to an NFL wide receiver — a position group notoriously known for diva behavior, though he didn’t describe the analogy that way.

Instead, Royce Lewis equated his clubhouse temperament to someone who needs to be communicated with on a regular basis. He wants to feel wanted, needed even. Beyond that, the California kid wants a window into what those in charge are thinking.

“It just feels like there’s something new about the culture [Shelton]’s trying to build. I just look forward to some of his ideas he had for us. Whether it’s implementing them in spring or in season, I loved the mentality he had — the ‘It’s going to take every man’ approach. It was unbelievable.”

Royce Lewis (via The Athletic)

Royce Lewis started his big league career like a rocket, immediately inserting himself as one of the team’s best and most clutch hitters when he debuted in 2022, slashing .300/.317/.550 in his first twelve games, until he tore his ACL colliding with the centerfield wall.

But in the past couple seasons, he’s fallen off a cliff. In 106 games last season, Lewis hit .237 with a .671 OPS and 83 OPS+. So whatever communication or coddling Derek Shelton has to deploy in order to bring the old Royce Lewis back, I’m all for it.

Right now the only guaranteed money on the books is allotted to Byron Buxton ($15.1 million) and Pablo Lopez ($21.75 million). They have ten players eligible for arbitration, and bringing some of that talent back will help to fill out the roster.

MLB Trade Rumors has long been the gold standard when figuring out what arbitration salaries may look like. 2026 projections became public on Monday.

Twins arbitration projections paint a picture

Major League Baseball affords a period of time for organizations to keep players under team control. Before reaching free agency, players are granted raises through an arbitration process. Either the team and player can agree on a number, or they go to a hearing. The Twins have ten eligible players this offseason, and MLB Trade Rumors has outlined where they may land.

There’s a lot to break down here. Of the ten players up for arbitration, five seem like slam dunks. Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, and Cole Sands will all be offered contracts. Trevor Larnach seems like a candidate on the fence, and there are a handful of veterans that could easily be replaced with others at the minimum.

Both Jeffers ($6.6M) and Ryan ($5.8M) become serious trade candidates for Derek Falvey with their values creeping upwards. Minnesota already dangled Ryan at the trade deadline, and he pairs with Pablo Lopez as potential salary dumps this offseason.

Larnach is an interesting case. At $4.7 million he’s no longer cheap. With a career OPS+ of just 101, he’s barely been over league averaged, and the power he was drafted for has translated into a single season (2025 – 17) with more than 15 homers.

There are also four relievers among the group. Only Cole Sands has been an above-average option, but the Twins bullpen was torn down to the studs at the trade deadline. How Falvey goes about rebuilding that group remains to be seen.

If the Minnesota Twins keep each of the five expected players, they’d add roughly $21.3 million to their 2026 payroll. Combined with Buxton and Lopez, that would push the overall amount to $58.15 million with seven of the 26 roster spots filled.

And now, reporters covering the team are bracing for more of the same this offseason. What else should we expect out of a Pohlad ownership group that’s been on a mission to cut expenses since they announced a $30 million payroll cut, following the 2023 season, which produced their deepest playoff run since the early 2000s.

Shortly after the roster deconstruction this summer, Joe Pohlad & Co. pulled the “For Sale” sign from Target Field, meaning he and his penny-pinching family members will remain in control of the Minnesota Twins for the foreseeable future.

Royce Lewis opens up about fear that MN Twins may trade him

Not only does that have the fans feeling extremely uneasy about the organization’s future, but the players in the clubhouse too. At this point, no player can feel safe. Even guys like Royce Lewis, who two years ago was untouchable. Minnesota’s 2017 No. 1 overall draft pick has never been afraid to speak his mind to media.

This week, he cut open a vein on his offseason mentality in an interview with MLB.com’s Matt Leach. In the lengthy piece, Lewis tells the MLB insider that he’s bracing for a career-altering phone call at some point this offseason, and that he’s treating every at-bat with the MN Twins as if it may be his last.

“It was a good one. You never know if it’s going to be your last at-bat here [as a Twin] or what. You never know. I just wanted to enjoy it.”

“It has [crossed my mind I could be traded], but we don’t know what direction [the front office will go]. I can’t control anything. I’m just here and enjoying my time with my teammates and the guys here.

Because I grew up playing with all these guys, so [being traded] would be a weird situation. It would almost be like, I grew up with one family then all of a sudden, ‘Hey, I’m going to college.’”

Royce Lewis – MLB.com

In 2025, Royce Lewis reached 100 games played in a single-season for the first time of his four-year MLB career. While his .241/.289/.399 line is not pretty, it looks better when you realize that he slashed .216/.281/.302 prior to the All-Star Break.

If the Twins look to continue their talent teardown this offseason, like most expect, he will be one of the more intriguing talents for potential trade partners to consider. Not only is Lewis a former No. 1 pick with a ton of untapped talent, but his stock is down right now.

Potential trade partners salivating over Royce Lewis?

That could make him one of the more attractive “on sale” items available, if indeed our Pohlad penny-pinching fears are realized this offseason. Because the Twins no longer have a bullpen to speak of. And outside of starting pitchers, Lewis is the most talented player for teams to chase, if seeking an impact stick for their infield.

In the right situation, there’s little doubt Royce would return to the phenom he was on pace to be, prior to the 2024 season. In 2023, Lewis owned a 149 OPS+ in 58 games. He hasn’t been that guy for some time, but the 26-year-old still shows plenty of flashes that he still could be.

ROYCE LEWIS GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/hevjXt4LTp

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) August 23, 2025

Lewis made just $1.63 million this season, as a first-year arbitration-eligible player. Even with a 91 OPS+, he should get close to double that in arbitration next season. The Twins third baseman has made substantial strides defensively, and his offense improved exponentially in the second half of the season.

If the Minnesota Twins trade Royce Lewis and he returns to anything resembling the blossoming superstar he was just two years ago, it could go down next to the David Ortiz release as one of the worst front office decision in franchise history.

Lewis says he returned to Minnesota Twins lineup too soon

Royce Lewis also revealed in his interview with MLB.com that, after suffering a hamstring injury during Spring Training, he returned to play sooner than his body was ready. Lewis’ first game of the season was a May contest against Baltimore.

At the time, Minnesota was 15-20. Shortly after his return, the Twins temporarily saved their season with a 13-game winning streak that vaulted them back into early wildcard contention. Even that early, players were already sensing where the front office was going, if the season went south… which it eventually did.

“I came back way too early trying to make a push with the guys we had because we knew what the fortune was if we kept losing. Then ultimately we ended up trading away [10] guys. Once that happened at the Deadline, I was really bummed that I just came back a little too soon. My body wasn’t necessarily fully trusting…my mind, my body were off. So it sets you back, and then you have 75 at-bats where it’s kind of building up Spring Training timing again.”

Royce Lewis – MLB.com

Hopefully Lewis can finish the final week strong and have a normal offseason. Ideally, he will have no setbacks during the winter, as he prepares for a 2026 regular season that may or may not be played in a Minnesota Twins uniform.

Trading a fan-favorite and budding superstar when his stock is down would be one of the riskier decisions this team could make over the next few months. Then again, it’s only risky if the goal is to win baseball games. And the Pohlads have proven time and time again that is nowhere near the top of their priority list.

The Minnesota Twins have not been a good team this season. They have had some strong performances though. The more those can continue individually down the stretch, the better they will be set up for 2026.

Royce Lewis brought the Skol flavor home and went deep twice last night! pic.twitter.com/kibu7hukod

— Ted (@tlschwerz) September 9, 2025

Minnesota’s third baseman is looking to find his consistent offensive production again, and the results of late have been promising. His two home run night, just miles from where he grew up and the first time playing at Angels Stadium, was evidence of that.

MN Twins seeing results for Royce Lewis

This season has been challenging for Royce Lewis. He has dealt with injuries again, and is batting just .237/.293/.406. The work ethic remains the same though, and some small tweaks paid off in a big way on Monday night.

Royce caught up with @Audra_Martin after tonight's game! pic.twitter.com/pW4AbEVdxs

— Twins.TV (@twinstv) September 9, 2025

“I’m just trying to go back to my old self, and my old swing, as best I can. It’s really hard to make some changes in the season, but we’ve got to revert back to what we do. That’s what we did. I feel a lot more comfortable. Honestly, like you said that fastball, I was like ‘oh my gosh’ and then I was like ‘oh my gosh!’ That was nice. I’ll take that all day.”

Royce Lewis

Lewis reached on four-of-five at bats thanks to a pair of errors by the Angels defense. The two balls he sent over the fence went a combined 780 feet and they both had exit velocities of 102 mph. His barrel rate has dropped this season with the struggles at the dish, but he has consistently hit the ball hard. Lewis seeing positive results only builds his confidence.

Over his last 16 games, dating back to the White Sox series on August 22nd, Lewis has batted .281/.313/.578 with six home runs. He has stayed hot in September as well, going 9-for-29 while stealing four bases.

This is the version of Lewis that is fun to watch. He’s not going to be a high on-base or walk-rate guy, but he can slug and the athleticism is still there. Injuries have taken some of the speed and quickness he once had, but being empowered to make an impact in all facets of the game brings out the best of what he can be.

Royce Lewis’ dad is in the suite next to us (dude who is CRUSHING us tonight) and it is so cute watching this in the midst of angels playing bad ball pic.twitter.com/N6d95cfBvf

— Breezy Nowlan (@BreezyNowlan) September 9, 2025

It’s always fun to see a guy see success. With Lewis having grown up just down the road from Angel Stadium, it was extra special for his family to have a front row seat for the experience too.

What does need to happen is more development and growth for 2026. Rocco Baldelli needs to see his holdover pieces not only produce, but look like they can be part of the solution in the years ahead.

That hasn’t been the case for Royce Lewis most of this season. He has been more of a problem than an answer. Of late though, the tide is turning.

Royce Lewis coming up big for Minnesota Twins

As has been the case for most of his career, Royce Lewis has dealt with injuries this season. He missed time early for a hamstring, and has returned to produce just an 82 OPS+. His characteristic hot hitting has eluded him at times, but it showed up in August while leading the team in RBI. It happened without him even knowing it.

“Really? That’s pretty cool. I don’t feel like I’ve been hitting like I should lately. Of course I think about trying to get the run in anytime I get a chance. I want those every day. I have high confidence and standards for myself. If I’m not living up to them, you know, it bothers me. I don’t care what the stats say — of late, I’m not playing up to my standards.”

Royce Lewis – Star Tribune

Lewis holds himself to a high bar, and as he told the Star Tribune’s Phil Miller, the results aren’t satisfactory. Across 81 games Lewis owns just a .229/.289/.380 slash line. Dating back to last year, a span of 163 games, Lewis has hit .231/.292/.417. It’s a far cry from his 149 OPS+ as a rookie.

Five career grand slams? MAKE IT SIX ‼️ pic.twitter.com/p6vddvKtiv

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 23, 2025

Minnesota once looked at Lewis as a building block for the future. It’s still possible he could be that, but it’s become less obvious at 26 years old than it was at 24 years old. The league has adjusted to Lewis, and while he has as well, the starts and stops have been detrimental.

Even amidst the lack of consistent production, Lewis has remained clutch. He’s still Mr. Grand Slam and has come through with timely production. Feeling like himself again would take it all back over the top.

If there is anything that Lewis needs, it’s a clean bill of health. His career has been interrupted by maladies over the place. It’s possible that they have taken their toll on his body as well.

Related: Former MN Twins Gold Glove Winner Lands New Team

With 26 games to play, Lewis needs 19 more to reach 100. It would be the first time in his career that he has done so, and he could do it in a season that veteran leader Byron Buxton has as well. Minnesota would love that as a building block for the future. They just need to see the production return as well.

Afterall, most of the players on the 26-man roster are heavily tied to the Twins’ unmet expectations this season. Guys the Twins came into the spring relying on, but who have largely failed to produce what was required, like Matt Wallner, Brooks Lee and Trevor Larnach.

But at the top of Minnesota’s list of underachievers is 26-year-old Royce Lewis, a former No. 1 overall draft pick who, not that long ago, took the league by storm when he first arrived on the scene.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been that uber-confident blossoming superstar in over a year now, and it sounds like his frustration is starting to boil over.

Royce Lewis hurting present worrying about future for MN Twins

In 2025, Royce owns a disappointing .233/.293/.378 slash line. The whole of Lewis’ struggles are complicated, but in short, the ball simply isn’t travelling for him. And when he does get barrel, which has happened far too inconsistently, he seems to find leather far too often.

In some quotes posted at The Athletic, via beat writer Dan Hayes, Lewis sure sounds like he is blaming his struggles on the Minnesota Twins organization, and their unwillingness to sign Royce to a long-term contract extension.

“It’s also hard to make a full in-season adjustment because you can try that, and those 30 games or at-bats of trial go toward your stats. Do you really want to sacrifice that? And if it doesn’t work, then you go back to what you were doing before. It’s always hard. I know (Michael) Harris (II) just did a significant change.

Being under contract probably helps because he knows what he’s making that year and the year after. For someone like me, I’m fighting (to take) care of myself and my family. I don’t want to put any of those stats in jeopardy. I’m trying to do what’s best as fast as possible. But feeling like I’ve been on an island, it’s kind of tough.”

Royce Lewis – The Athletic

This season is the first in which Royce Lewis has made more than $1 million during his Major League career, thanks to his first year of arbitration, a status that came with a salary increase to $1.63 million.

Prior to this season, he made somewhere between $700K-$750K per season. In addition to his $6.725 million bonus as the 2017 No. 1 overall draft pick, Lewis has made over $10 million during his professional baseball career.

Is this a Royce Lewis problem or Minnesota Twins problem?

Important to remember in this conversation is that numbers dictate what a player makes during arbitration. Thus, it is somewhat understandable that Lewis would be concerned with his individual statistics, which are not good this season.

The one-time prolific power hitter has just seven home runs in 2025. His .671 OPS, 83 OPS+ are all career lows. The former top prospect out of JSerra Catholic High School in California owns a 0.6 fWAR that is largely propped up by his much-improved defense over at third base.

Looking at Royce’s baseball reference page is somewhat depressing. In his first 70 big league games, Lewis hit .307 with 17 HR, 11 doubles, 57 RBI and 41 runs scored. His OPS going into the 2024 season was .913, his OPS+ a whopping 148.

Oh, Royce Lewis can most definitely hurt you when the bases are loaded. 😱 pic.twitter.com/3n7OH5glap

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 16, 2023

In the 155 games since, following a bevy of injuries that stunted his development, Lewis is hitting .233 with 23 homers, a .712 OPS and a 96 OPS+. Look, I understand what Lewis was trying to get at, when speaking with reporters. But once again, his quotes come off as lacking self-awareness.

At the end of the day, this is a team sport. His unwillingness to sacrifice what he believes will be short-term production, in exchange for what could help fix him more permanently in the future, is not a good look.

“I feel like I’m kind of on an island and trying to figure it out on my own. I haven’t felt comfortable all year. I wish I did. If I did, I think my numbers would be totally different. I’m just looking for comfort in the box. I don’t feel like I was going good at all this year. It’s a lot easier when things are going well. You know, there’s ups and downs. When things are not going your way and you hit one good and that doesn’t go your way, it’s frustrating.”

Royce Lewis – The Athletic

Related: MN Twins Set to Debut New Pitching Acquisitions

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Lewis has seemingly been getting unlucky. He has just a .255 BABIP (batting average on balls in play). His expected metrics are all better than the actual results as well (xBA .263, xSLG .431, xwOBA .326).

The inputs remain solid as well. The average exit velocity is in line with career norms, and his 42.5% hard-hit rate is a career-best. Also notable is that his strikeout-rate is down to a near-career best 16.1%.

It’s understandable that Lewis may want a level of future certainty, but it doesn’t really make sense for him to be seeking an extension right now. Given how he has played, any long-term contract that bought out his arbitration would be worth a small fraction of his value when playing well.

Lewis is under team control through 2028. If he rebounds and plays well going forward, a $100 million-plus contract could be a reality. Why would he want to sacrifice that opportunity for short term security? Has he ever seen the Chicago Bulls documentary and how that worked out for Scottie Pippen? Because it didn’t go well.

Waking up Royce Lewis needs to be a Twins focus

Beyond just reining Lewis back in to focus on the present, the Minnesota Twins have to right what has been a sinking ship. Of course his grand slam against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night is a good start. They have to get buy in from the player though, and then let hitting coach Matt Borgschulte get to work.

“The biggest thing, I think, for every hitter, whether it’s worrying about arbitration or free agency or whatever the case is for the future, is getting the focus to be on doing what you can do today to set yourself up for success and staying within this day. We’ll just focus on the moment, focus on preparation, make sure you’re doing everything in the weight room, in the cage, in your prep to give yourself the best opportunity for success.”

Matt Borgschulte – The Athletic

The groundwork is there for a player that knows he has something to work on. He has a committed coach trying to get the most out of him as well. The tweaks are something he should probably lean into given the results are where they are. It seems like that may finally be coming to a head.

The grand slam last night came on a longer swing path that hitting coach @MBorgy7 has been working on. pic.twitter.com/RhWIwN5mzZ

— Ted (@tlschwerz) August 23, 2025

For a guy who experienced as much early success as Royce Lewis did prior to 2024, a lack of confidence wasn’t on very many BINGO cards, until recently. What we have found out over the past two seasons is that Lewis is a human being just like the rest of us.

Related: Report: Twins Players Growing Frustrated with Organization

The more that this Minnesota Twins organization can prop up the talented youngster, the greater chance we have of his big league story having a happy ending. The direction of the franchise isn’t something that has been clear of late, but Lewis can work to cement himself as a key cog during the final month of the season.

Admittedly the problem for Rocco Baldelli’s team has been pitching. With Pablo Lopez and Zebby Matthews injured, the depth is gone and those left over have struggled.

One way to help ease the load on the mound is to hit. When going right Royce Lewis can be among the best in the game. He’s often injured though, and is returning to the lineup following a trip to the injured list for the second time this season.

MN Twins activate Royce Lewis from IL

During Spring Training Royce Lewis suffered a hamstring strain that cost him two months. Back in mid-June he suffered another strain to the same leg, but this time it will cost him just over two weeks.

We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/o2HR2XcLGA

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 1, 2025

On Sunday, with a scheduled day off Monday, the Twins opted to designate Jonah Bride for assignment. They had acquired him from the Miami Marlins while needing warm bodies in the infield. He shockingly lasted more than two months on the roster, but the move opened a path for Lewis to return. Lewis plays third and bats 8th on Tuesday.

Royce Lewis has played in just 30 games this season. He owns an ugly .202/.282/.303 slash line and has just six extra-base hits (two homers and four doubles). That, combined with an 0-for-8 during three rehab games with Triple-A St. Paul is certainly the bad news.

The good news is that Lewis had been trending in a positive direction for the Twins. While working through different swing tweaks, something seemed to click last month. Over his last nine games the Twins third baseman slashed .395/.485/.571 with two doubles and a home run.

Royce Lewis missed a grand slam by about 5 feet but drives in a pair with a double off the wall pic.twitter.com/7eP5u09V4x

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) June 4, 2025

At this point in his career, after the mounting maladies he has dealt with, Lewis is a different player. He’s not the speed threat he once was, and the success of his plate production comes in the form of slugging. Minnesota needs to see that as he returns to the lineup, and they desperately need the guy that figured things out before being hurt.

Related: Twins Cut Bait With Infielder, Prepare Royce Lewis’ Return

Minnesota is in Miami for a three-game series before returning home to Target Field over the weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Now four games under .500 at 40-44, they have an off day before visiting the Miami Marlins. Although the NL East foe has just a 37-45 record this season, they have won seven-straight and 8-of-their-last ten.

Minnesota is also making the trip to Florida with one less player after Jonah Bride was left on the tarmac in Detroit. Royce Lewis seems destined to take his ticket as well.

Jonah Bride DFA’d by Minnesota Twins

In mid-April the Minnesota Twins struggled to field a healthy roster of infielders. With options waning they made a trade with the Miami Marlins for Jonah Bride. Now a little more than a month later, he’s sent back to the waiver wire.

#MNTwins DFA’d Jonah Bride. Would appear Royce Lewis will join them Tuesday.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 30, 2025

The Marlins DFA’d Bride after just 12 games in which he went 4-for-45. Minnesota hoped he could provide a spark after batting .276/.357/.461 across 71 games last season. Unfortunately he flopped and will be better remembered for his pitching appearances with the Twins.

Through 32 games Bride tallied a .214/.282/.243 slash line with 23 strikeouts and six walks. He had just two extra-base hits (both doubles) and served little purpose in the utility role he was cast for.

He pitched for the first time in his career during a blowout loss, and then wound up as a punchline making three more appearances. Across six innings he gave up 14 hits and 10 runs while striking out two. Had he been pitching to himself, he may have been able to stick on the roster longer.

Royce Lewis returning for MN Twins?

A corresponding move was not made following the DFA of Jonah Bride. It doesn’t take much to believe it will be Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis assuming the roster spot.

Minnesota’s starter at the hot corner suffered a second hamstring strain on June 13. He began a rehab assignment two weeks later with St. Paul that started on June 27. Now three games in, after going 0-for-8, he’s headed back to the big leagues.

Royce Lewis was rocking the Ghostly Gangsters uniform for the @StPaulSaints tonight as he began his rehab assignment. pic.twitter.com/ZOTVABay6j

— Ted (@tlschwerz) June 28, 2025

The production with St. Paul isn’t positive, but he played seven innings at third base on Sunday after appearing in two as the designated hitter. Minnesota is hoping they get the guy who had a .393/.485/.571 slash line over his last nine games before the injury.

Lewis has had two stops and starts now this season. He owns just a .202/.282/.303 line with a pair of home runs across 30 big league games. It hasn’t been pretty, and he won’t be the answer to the Minnesota Twins pitching problems. It’s plausible that he helps the lineup though, and Rocco Baldelli will take anything for a team struggling to stay afloat.