The Minnesota Twins have confirmed that third baseman/shortstop Royce Lewis will start the 2025 Major League Baseball season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain. However, this recent injury isn’t as serious as the quad strain he had last season. Despite the lesser severity, the Twins cannot share his definite return.
Lewis suffered the injury after pulling up while fielding a ground ball. Unfortunately, it adds to his lengthy injury history since becoming the first overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. An ACL tear on his right knee sidelined him for the entire 2021 MLB season. A year later, he suffered another ACL tear that forced him out until May 2023.
In addition to those injuries, Lewis has also suffered muscle strains in his quad and other body parts. While he’s played in only 140 games over the last two seasons, he was solid when healthy, slashing .265/.328/.493 in 564 plate appearances.
With Lewis sidelined, Jose Miranda will likely take over in third base after hitting .284/.322/.441 in 121 games last year. Brooks Lee could also fill in for Lewis at the hot corner.
-Lance Fernandez