BREAKING: Twins Option Royce Lewis to Minor Leagues, Will Call Up Orlando Arcia

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Farming out outfielder Matt Wallner was never going to be the last of the Twins' major moves, as the team shakes up its roster and tries to accelerate its move toward a new core and away from the bitter failures of the last season and a half. Monday night saw Kendry Rojas take (at least for now) Simeon Woods Richardson's place in the starting rotation. On Tuesday, the club optioned Royce Lewis to the minors and designated reliever Justin Topa for assignment. Dan Hayes of The Athletic broke the news on Twitter.

Topa, 35, fell off the ledge after clinging to it all season, never quite able to clamber to a safer perch. He made 23 appearances and gutted out a pair of saves, but he only made it through 19 innings and finishes his Twins tenure with an 8.05 ERA. He struck out 12 and walked 11, and a wobbly showing in which he let the Astros back into the game Monday night was the final straw.

With Lewis, the story is much longer and more interesting, but much more of it has already been told. He can't get on time right now. His winter work with a private hitting coach has borne no fruit, making him less unorthodox but no more effective than he was in his lost 2025 campaign. When his at-bats remained uncompetitive after a two-day benching to reset and refocus, the writing was on the wall, just as it was for Wallner earlier this month.

Replacing Lewis on the roster will be veteran utility infielder Orlando Arcia, who signed a minor-league deal with the team in the spring and stayed with the club despite not making the 26-man roster in March. Arcia, 31, offers steady (though no longer rangy) defense for an infield that needed help on that front. He's also hit very well for Triple-A St. Paul this season, with a .318/.376/.556 line in over 160 plate appearances. Arcia and Tristan Gray are expected to serve as a modified platoon at third base for the short term, according to a source briefed on the team's thinking, though Derek Shelton will have some discretion in which way to tip the greater share of playing time and whether to include Ryan Kreidler in that rotation.

For the Twins, it's still worth hoping for and trying to engender a Lewis rebound, but that can no longer be Plan A. Like Wallner, Lewis heads to the minors without a guarantee of a return trip, and with the team's plans rapidly shifting in another direction. For now, top infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper will remain with the Saints, but he's knocking on the door to the majors. An infield that includes (in whichever alignment) Brooks Lee and Culpepper is now more likely to be the team's medium-term plan than is anything that involves Lewis.

Cutting Topa creates a spot for Arcia on the 40-man roster, but there might be more shuffling ahead, as the team awaits more information on the injured wrist of catcher Ryan Jeffers. With Jeffers in limbo, Gray set to welcome a new child to his family and two veteran relievers (Matt Bowman and John Brebbia) eligible to become free agents Tuesday if not added to the roster. there are still moving pieces here. If the team wants to call up either Bowman or Brebbia, they'd need to create a second opening on the 40-man. A third spot could be needed for catcher Alex Jackson, should Jeffers land on the IL. It's even possible Lewis will go to Ft. Myers for a more complete reset, rather than to St. Paul.

For now, though, it's clear that another phase of a longer-running shakeup is underway. This piece will be updated as the details of the roster moves are announced.

UPDATE: Lewis will go to Triple-A, sources confirmed to Twins Daily. Hayes reported the same.

As we reported above, the spot needed for Arcia will be the one taken from Topa. What other shifting takes place, however, remains to be seen. Unless the team places Jeffers on the IL, they can't recall Kody Funderburk, who hasn't been on optional assignment long enough yet to be reinstated for any reason other than injury.

UPDATE 2: The full picture is now in view. Travis Adams will take Topa's spot in the bullpen, while once-promising pickup Garrett Acton will move to the 60-day injured list to make more room on the 40-man roster. Jeffers, indeed, hits the shelf, and Jackson will come up to serve as the secondary catcher.

The last is a blow to the team's dwindling hopes for 2026, because Jeffers's injury turns out not to be a sprained wrist, but rather, a dreaded hamate bone fracture. It's likely that he'll be out until at least the latter part of June, during which time the Twins will have to make do with Victor Caratini and Jackson behind the plate.

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[amjgt]

This fancy cat just dropped a "clamber" on us!

[amjgt]

Curious that they waited until today. I imagine Arcia was back from Ohio by Sunday night,

I suppose it has more to do with the timing of the 40-man roster spot (Topa's DFA) than the straight swap of Lewis for Arcia.

[hlsballer318]

DFA'd Topa so they can pick up Chapman while they're in Boston, right? Right?

[Vanimal46]

There were simply no more levers to pull at the MLB level to get Royce back on track. They tried batting him 6-9 in the batting order, a couple of days off to clear his head, etc. 

Since it's Arcia coming up instead of Culpepper, I wonder if the FO thinks a week or 2 hitting inferior AAA pitching is going to fix Royce? I have my doubts about that. His swing is a complete mess. 

@Brock BeauchampI may have to do a sacrifice on the Royce Lewis signed baseball you sent to me in order to save his career... Should I burn the baseball? 

[Matthew Trueblood]

2 minutes ago, hlsballer318 said:

DFA'd Topa so they can pick up Chapman while they're in Boston, right? Right?

Feels like one of those names that shows up a lot in the Boston phonebook, so sure!

I mean if you mean AROLDIS, then no.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

As I used to say when there was a shakeup in my law office, "Let the church roll on".

[Possumlad]

2 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

There were simply no more levers to pull at the MLB level to get Royce back on track. They tried batting him 6-9 in the batting order, a couple of days off to clear his head, etc. 

Since it's Arcia coming up instead of Culpepper, I wonder if the FO thinks a week or 2 hitting inferior AAA pitching is going to fix Royce? I have my doubts about that. His swing is a complete mess. 

@Brock BeauchampI may have to do a sacrifice on the Royce Lewis signed baseball you sent to me in order to save his career... Should I burn the baseball? 

Responded the same way in the game-thread, but more relevant here: 

They may also just think Arcia gives them a better shot to win right now (and I don't disagree). I don't think the Twins have given up on the season, and would love to get some more fan butts in the seats by hanging around 0.500 through the ASB.

[Peter]

Why????

[amjgt]

7 minutes ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

Feels like one of those names that shows up a lot in the Boston phonebook, so sure!

I mean if you mean AROLDIS, then no.

Matt Chapman had a costly error last night, so he might be cheaper to get at the moment. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

3 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

There were simply no more levers to pull at the MLB level to get Royce back on track. They tried batting him 6-9 in the batting order, a couple of days off to clear his head, etc. 

Since it's Arcia coming up instead of Culpepper, I wonder if the FO thinks a week or 2 hitting inferior AAA pitching is going to fix Royce? I have my doubts about that. His swing is a complete mess. 

@Brock BeauchampI may have to do a sacrifice on the Royce Lewis signed baseball you sent to me in order to save his career... Should I burn the baseball? 

Maybe Royce should burn his bats and start over with a complete new set of bats. Seriously. 

[Vanimal46]

1 minute ago, Possumlad said:

Responded the same way in the game-thread, but more relevant here: 

They may also just think Arcia gives them a better shot to win right now (and I don't disagree). I don't think the Twins have given up on the season, and would love to get some more fan butts in the seats by hanging around 0.500 through the ASB.

That is likely the case. They probably don't want to call up Culpepper unless there's a runway for him to play everyday for a couple of months. Either way, I hope there is a well drawn up plan to get Royce back on track. I'm no baseball swing guru, but it's pretty clear to see he's selling out on pulling the ball no matter the location. 

[nicksaviking]

I think Lewis will turn it around and end up having a nice career. Just likely not here.

Remember this spring when we had the epic Arcia v Kreidler v Gray debate?

Looks like EVERYONE gets their wish!

[mnfireman]

First of several (hopeful) moves to be made today....

[Matthew Trueblood]

1 minute ago, mnfireman said:

First of several (hopeful) moves to be made today....

What else are you hoping for??

[Vanimal46]

1 minute ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

What else are you hoping for??

I mean, we could DFA Luis Garcia at any time and I wouldn't shed a tear... 

[Brock Beauchamp]

11 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

There were simply no more levers to pull at the MLB level to get Royce back on track. They tried batting him 6-9 in the batting order, a couple of days off to clear his head, etc. 

Since it's Arcia coming up instead of Culpepper, I wonder if the FO thinks a week or 2 hitting inferior AAA pitching is going to fix Royce? I have my doubts about that. His swing is a complete mess. 

@Brock BeauchampI may have to do a sacrifice on the Royce Lewis signed baseball you sent to me in order to save his career... Should I burn the baseball? 

You can try eating it. See if that helps.

Also make sure you record this happening. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

4 minutes ago, Peter said:

Why????

Peter, If your "why" question was directed at my post about the church rolling on, it is based on a Flatt and Scruggs Bluegrass song: "Let the Church Roll On". Some of the verses are: "There's a deacon in the church (Oh my Lord) and he won't do right (Oh my Lord), What shall we do? (Oh my Lord). Turn him out. kick him out, and let the church roll on." Seemed appropriate today in Twins Territory.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

2 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I mean, we could DFA Luis Garcia at any time and I wouldn't shed a tear... 

Garcia and Banda. Please.

[CRF]

The move with Lewis HAD to happen. He was doing zippo. Hopefully, he can get back on track in StP. Absolutely LOVE that they dumped Topa! My grandma could pitch better than he did...and she passed away in 1973. GET THOSE KIDS UP HERE!

[mnfireman]

DFA Topa and Garcia, recall Bowman and Laweryson. Sands and Funderburk could/should also be recalled, but would come at the expense of Rojas and Morris, but the team needs arms after having to burn through so many last night.

And unfortunately, probably Jeffers to the IL and recall Jackson.

[nicksaviking]

5 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I mean, we could DFA Luis Garcia at any time and I wouldn't shed a tear... 

I'll take the newly injured catcher, the starting outfield and the starting pitchers that only have two names. Guess you got to keep the middle infielders under 26-years of age as well. The rest can join Garcia.

[Peter]

8 minutes ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Peter, If your "why" question was directed at my post about the church rolling on, it is based on a Flatt and Scruggs Bluegrass song: "Let the Church Roll On". Some of the verses are: "There's a deacon in the church (Oh my Lord) and he won't do right (Oh my Lord), What shall we do? (Oh my Lord). Turn him out. kick him out, and let the church roll on." Seemed appropriate today in Twins Territory.

It was why on demoting Royce???

[Peter]

5 minutes ago, mnfireman said:

DFA Topa and Garcia, recall Bowman and Laweryson. Sands and Funderburk could/should also be recalled, but would come at the expense of Rojas and Morris, but the team needs arms after having to burn through so many last night.

And unfortunately, probably Jeffers to the IL and recall Jackson.

Not Garcia!!! He’s one of our 2 closers with Gomez!!!

[Galen]

Tough for Lewis...we'll see what he's made of

[garn from vancouver]

it hurts and is sad to see a person that is so full of life and positive just fall off like he has. i wish him the best and would be very happy to see him back with the twins should be get sorted in st. paul. 

[mnfireman]

Topa just got DFA'd

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/05/twins-option-royce-lewis.html

[mickster]

12 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I mean, we could DFA Luis Garcia at any time and I wouldn't shed a tear... 

Topa DFA'd.    Now a decision on Jeffers as if we need a roster spot for Jackson someone needs to be removed from 40 man

[Peter]

1 minute ago, mnfireman said:

Topa just got DFA'd

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/05/twins-option-royce-lewis.html

Why??? 

[Patzky]

22 minutes ago, Peter said:

Why????

Which why? The only thing I really hope they do that was left undone is to get Bowman up.