Royce Lewis Leaves Spring Game with Apparent Leg Injury

[AceWrigley]

Every team has their injury issues. Heck, If the Yankees lose any more starters, Brent Headrick will be in their rotation.

[mickster]

19 hours ago, CRF said:

Unfortunately, he's turning into Buxton 2.0. He's just never going to stay healthy. 

Might be a good idea to trade him when he is healthy and raking

 

[mickster]

16 hours ago, HerbieFan said:

Am I crazy to think that even if Lee goes to 3B (likely) I still am not all that interested in having Julien at 2B?  Keaschall was reassigned so guess that's our fate.  Julien is just the definition of a "butcher" in the field.  

Maybe Miranda goes to 3B, with Lee at 2nd and France/Julien at 1B

[old nurse]

17 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

They haven’t put Canterino on the 60 yet to avoid using MLB service time, and he was optioned before being placed on the Il.

he might go on the minor league 60 day, but I believe he stays on the 40 man roster.

I doubt anybody is worried about service time. If Canterino is paid less being in the minor leagues it would be a budget thing for this year. 

[ryanking61]

I'd say I'm surprised but I'm not... injuries were going to define this season for me, and we are already off to a GREAT start 😓

[Lucas Seehafer PT]

18 hours ago, darin617 said:

I think it's because of all the weight training. Guys are too strong for their own good. I always remember Bert talking about all the running he did. I know nothing about how the human bodies muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc work. But guys never seemed to miss so many games before weights became such a big part of conditioning.

There is very little scientific evidence that this is true. Virtually all research points to stronger muscles having less risk for injury. Muscles will always get injured in sport, but injury occurrence can't be boiled down to a single factor. That said, "too strong" just doesn't seem to be a factor according to the most recent literature.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, Lucas Seehafer PT said:

There is very little scientific evidence that this is true. Virtually all research points to stronger muscles having less risk for injury. Muscles will always get injured in sport, but injury occurrence can't be boiled down to a single factor. That said, "too strong" just doesn't seem to be a factor according to the most recent literature.

Thank you 

[USAFChief]

58 minutes ago, Lucas Seehafer PT said:

There is very little scientific evidence that this is true. Virtually all research points to stronger muscles having less risk for injury. Muscles will always get injured in sport, but injury occurrence can't be boiled down to a single factor. That said, "too strong" just doesn't seem to be a factor according to the most recent literature.

As I understand it, "hamstring" injuries refer to both muscular and/,or tendon issues.

 

Could not tendon injuries result from loads caused by overdeveloped muscles?

 

And do we know which type hamstring injuries Lewis has suffered?

[Lucas Seehafer PT]

34 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

As I understand it, "hamstring" injuries refer to both muscular and/,or tendon issues.

 

Could not tendon injuries result from loads caused by overdeveloped muscles?

 

And do we know which type hamstring injuries Lewis has suffered?

Yes, but most hamstring injuries occur within the muscle. Also, muscles exert force through tendons, so if you're strengthening muscles you're also strengthening tendons. Stronger muscles are also associated with fewer tendon injuries.

[Maybe Next Year]

I'm asking this out of curiosity - with all the injuries the Twins keep having is this on the players for not doing the proper stretching and warm up prior to a game or is part of this on the shoulders of the trainer? Any thoughts?

 

[Lucas Seehafer PT]

6 minutes ago, Maybe Next Year said:

I'm asking this out of curiosity - with all the injuries the Twins keep having is this on the players for not doing the proper stretching and warm up prior to a game or is part of this on the shoulders of the trainer? Any thoughts?

 

Stretching generally doesn't reduce injury risk, which seems counterintuitive but is backed up by bunch of research. As far as their warm-ups go, the specifics matter less than just simply getting a heart rate increase and sweat going. I'm sure what they do is just fine. 

The real real and unsatisfactory answer is that injuries just happens. Luck, or more scientifically variance, plays a huge part in injury occurrence. An athlete can do everything right and still suffer multiple injuries. Injuries are so multifactorial that it's impossible to say that one or two variables either cause or prevent an injury. 

 

I promise that the Twins athletic training, strength and conditioning, and sports science teams are highly intelligent, capable, and arguably among the best in baseball. But even all of that can't prevent injuries.

[ashbury]

12 minutes ago, Lucas Seehafer PT said:

The real real and unsatisfactory answer is that injuries just happens.

Yes, that is unsatisfactory.

If it's not the warmup procedure or other things controllable by the team's trainer, I wonder if there is something about the player himself that can be detected at an early age.  There are some physical traits that go together, such as double-jointedness and scarring of the skin.  That's just one I know of, but in this age of big-data and AI I can't help wondering if some other measurable traits could correlate with outcomes like Lewis has experienced these past two years.  It could change the nature of what they measure at scouting showcases and team physicals.  "The trade's off, he has too many freckles."

[Mike Sixel]

36 minutes ago, Maybe Next Year said:

I'm asking this out of curiosity - with all the injuries the Twins keep having is this on the players for not doing the proper stretching and warm up prior to a game or is part of this on the shoulders of the trainer? Any thoughts?

 

You actually think they don't know what they are doing? 

[Mike Sixel]

26 minutes ago, Lucas Seehafer PT said:

Stretching generally doesn't reduce injury risk, which seems counterintuitive but is backed up by bunch of research. As far as their warm-ups go, the specifics matter less than just simply getting a heart rate increase and sweat going. I'm sure what they do is just fine. 

The real real and unsatisfactory answer is that injuries just happens. Luck, or more scientifically variance, plays a huge part in injury occurrence. An athlete can do everything right and still suffer multiple injuries. Injuries are so multifactorial that it's impossible to say that one or two variables either cause or prevent an injury. 

 

I promise that the Twins athletic training, strength and conditioning, and sports science teams are highly intelligent, capable, and arguably among the best in baseball. But even all of that can't prevent injuries.

Right? This idea that there is always blame is silly. Stuff happens all the time, with no one at fault.

[Lucas Seehafer PT]

7 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Yes, that is unsatisfactory.

If it's not the warmup procedure or other things controllable by the team's trainer, I wonder if there is something about the player himself that can be detected at an early age.  There are some physical traits that go together, such as double-jointedness and scarring of the skin.  That's just one I know of, but in this age of big-data and AI I can't help wondering if some other measurable traits could correlate with outcomes like Lewis has experienced these past two years.  It could change the nature of what they measure at scouting showcases and team physicals.  "The trade's off, he has too many freckles."

Teams are absolutely using AI to research this stuff. I know the Dodgers have an internal team of data scientists that use advanced techniques to try to predict future injury. The result: The Dodgers are still among the most injured teams in baseball year-over-year. There are some correlations: Athletes who specialized in baseball and played year-round before age 16, for example. 

[ashbury]

2 minutes ago, Lucas Seehafer PT said:

The result: The Dodgers are still among the most injured teams in baseball year-over-year.

Having worked in business analytics during my career, I can vouch that the results can be pretty bad during the first round, or second, or third....

Thanks for the insight.  It would be fun to sit in on those meetings at a team's offices.

[jorgenswest]

In response to those that would sell low on Lewis…

I would choose the injury prone more talented player over the less talented player that has a history of good health. It is hard to find a match for Buxton’s contract of 6 years at a little over 15 million a year (it was a 7 year deal but the first was still an arb year so it was lower.) Trevor Story received 6/140 that winter which isn’t an AAV match but closest for that term length. Chris Taylor received 4/60 which is closest positionally and by AAV. I rather have Buxton and gamble that he will be healthy should we reach the playoffs than Taylor. I know they lost that gamble in 2023 but that is still my bet. I would make a similar bet on Lewis.

[USAFChief]

46 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Right? This idea that there is always blame is silly. 

No more silly than the notion there is never blame

 

[KirbyDome89]

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

Yes, that is unsatisfactory.

If it's not the warmup procedure or other things controllable by the team's trainer, I wonder if there is something about the player himself that can be detected at an early age.  There are some physical traits that go together, such as double-jointedness and scarring of the skin.  That's just one I know of, but in this age of big-data and AI I can't help wondering if some other measurable traits could correlate with outcomes like Lewis has experienced these past two years.  It could change the nature of what they measure at scouting showcases and team physicals.  "The trade's off, he has too many freckles."

No doubt genetic makeup plays a role here, though I do think the "too strong," argument is a bastardized version of a legitimate concern.  

[mnfireman]

The diagnosis is "moderate" strain. No time table for a return as of right now.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/royce-lewis-exits-game-due-to-hamstring-strain.html

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, USAFChief said:

No more silly than the notion there is never blame

 

No one said that, though. Zero people. 

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, jorgenswest said:

In response to those that would sell low on Lewis…

I would choose the injury prone more talented player over the less talented player that has a history of good health. It is hard to find a match for Buxton’s contract of 6 years at a little over 15 million a year (it was a 7 year deal but the first was still an arb year so it was lower.) Trevor Story received 6/140 that winter which isn’t an AAV match but closest for that term length. Chris Taylor received 4/60 which is closest positionally and by AAV. I rather have Buxton and gamble that he will be healthy should we reach the playoffs than Taylor. I know they lost that gamble in 2023 but that is still my bet. I would make a similar bet on Lewis.

Except you also need a great backup..... Because he hasn't been healthy in four or five years now. It's hard to have two players for one position, basically full time, if you limit your budget. 

[jorgenswest]

4 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Except you also need a great backup..... Because he hasn't been healthy in four or five years now. It's hard to have two players for one position, basically full time, if you limit your budget. 

You will have to get by without great play from centerfield for a while. The Twins will need to get by at 3B. It is also an opportunity for someone to step up and claim and everyday role when Lewis returns. I like the possibilities in Miranda, Lee, Castro, Gasper and Julien with Keaschall and Eeles close. Someone can step up and claim the bulk of this playing time. It is so much better than having signed a veteran back up infielder who doesn’t hit well but is more trusted and given the playing time.

[Craig Arko]

2 hours ago, Lucas Seehafer PT said:

Teams are absolutely using AI to research this stuff. I know the Dodgers have an internal team of data scientists that use advanced techniques to try to predict future injury. The result: The Dodgers are still among the most injured teams in baseball year-over-year. There are some correlations: Athletes who specialized in baseball and played year-round before age 16, for example. 

Thank you very much for providing rare informed commentary on this site.

[Richmond Dude]

I understand the whole thing about stretching and warming up, but if that were really the factor here, you would see people blowing out hamstrings and similar injuries routinely in other industries.  Police officers and firefighters, for instance, frequently go from 0 to 60 without warming up and don't have large numbers of blown quads and hamstrings (although they certainly have injuries).

Just a reminder, too, that Lewis' most serious career injury was a trauma injury from hitting a fence.  No amount of warming up solves that.

[Mike Sixel]

26 minutes ago, Richmond Dude said:

I understand the whole thing about stretching and warming up, but if that were really the factor here, you would see people blowing out hamstrings and similar injuries routinely in other industries.  Police officers and firefighters, for instance, frequently go from 0 to 60 without warming up and don't have large numbers of blown quads and hamstrings (although they on ice I've certainly have injuries).

Just a reminder, too, that Lewis' most serious career injury was a trauma injury from hitting a fence.  No amount of warming up solves that.

And slipping on ice, iirc

[Schmoeman5]

21 hours ago, Doctor Gast said:

If we want to compete in the postseason, we need Lewis. His soft-tissue injuries are not uncommon after surgeries. IMO they should decrease in severity & frequency. IMO trading Lewis is senseless talk. He'll recover & hopefully Baldelli is able to take us to the postseason where anything can happen,

IMO? When was his last surgery?  Its been 2 plus years and it's been his 3rd or 4th such issue. So tell me, when will they decrease in frequency? IYO

[USAFChief]

3 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

No one said that, though. Zero people. 

 But someone said "there is always blame?"

Other than you, I mean.

[darin617]

On 3/16/2025 at 6:54 PM, sweetmusicviola16 said:

I get it. There would be 31 teams lined up to deal, but I highly think the return would be very underwhelming. I'm of the camp to stay the course with Royce. Use him when you can cuz I don't think anyone is going to give much back. Why would anyone part with a good package for a guy who doesn't stay on the field?

31? There are only 30 teams in MLB...

[darin617]

8 hours ago, Lucas Seehafer PT said:

Yes, but most hamstring injuries occur within the muscle. Also, muscles exert force through tendons, so if you're strengthening muscles you're also strengthening tendons. Stronger muscles are also associated with fewer tendon injuries.

Pretty sure tendons don't grow.

 

 

Tendons do not increase significantly in size. In fact, tendons should not grow in size since it would impact the function of the joint. Tendons also do not receive the same quantity of blood supply that muscles do. Exercise can enlarge the tendon just as it does the muscle, although the collagen fibers don’t increase in size.