Minnesota Twins Third baseman Royce Lewis has been plagued by several injuries over the past two season, playing 140 games during that stretch. Last year, a right quad strain on Opening Day in Kansas City cost him the first two months of the season. He also spent time on the injured list in July due to an adductor strain. This year, Lewis will miss Opening Day again as Phil Miller of the Minnesota Tribune writes that he’s been diagnosed with a mild sprain of his left hamstring, confirmed by an MRI taken Monday morning. The Twins have ruled him out for the March 27 season opener in St. Louis.
Royce Lewis to Miss Opening Day with Hamstring Injury
While it’s still to early to determine how many games he’ll miss, the team has assured that this injury is not as serious as last year’s. Lewis himself downplayed the issue, saying it’s “not even close” to the severity of his previous injury.
The injury occurred during Sunday’s spring training game against the Boston Red Sox. Lewis pulled up early after ground out to third base in the second inning, hobbling to first base and grabbing the back of his left leg.
Royce Lewis pulled up running to first base and exited the game with what looks like a leg injury. pic.twitter.com/dgzimQfi7y
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) March 16, 2025
“It’s emotional and, of course, disappointing,” said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli. “There is no way around that fact. In this game, you have to be able to deal with adversity. You have to be able to deal with challenges. Not everyone deals with the same difficulties. Royce knows that. It’s hard sometimes getting over the initial part of the deal, the injury and the immediate aftermath and having to talk about it.
“Once you get through that part of it, then you get your eyes toward getting back on the field. We still have a lot to learn. Let’s play it slow, wait and see, get some imaging done as we always do in these situations and see where we’re sitting at that point. We’ll know more in a few days. We’ll know a lot by actually how he’s moving around and what he’s capable of doing in the coming weeks.”
Twins Have Solid Depth Behind Lewis
A positive for Minnesota is that the team has the depth to cover for Lewis. Jose Miranda is a strong candidate to take over at third base after bouncing back last season with a .284/.322/.441 slash line in 121 games. If Miranda struggles, the Twins have other options. Brooks Lee, projected to start at second base, could shift to third, opening the door for Edouard Julien or top prospect Luke Keaschall to take over at second.
While losing Lewis is a setback, Minnesota’s depth gives them a solid chance to stay competitive until he returns.
Main Photo: © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
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