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I gotta be honest with you all: I didn’t think it was even allowed for the snakebitten 2025 Twins to get multiple pieces of good news in the same week. But, here we are; it happened. And you know what? I’ll take it.
Over the past few days, hope and excitement around Royce Lewis, erstwhile top prospect and current oft-injured superstar-in-waiting, has grown. The first real sign that his return may be imminent came before the Tuesday night game against the White Sox, when Lewis was spotted doing sprints.
Then during the game broadcast, Audra Martin hinted that Lewis could begin a rehab assignment soon. Early Wednesday, we learned that Lewis had run the bases for the third consecutive day and reported no discomfort or limitations. The inclusion of sliding is usually the last box that needs to be checked before a rehab assignment can begin, Lewis said.
Then, in the Wednesday pregame interviews, Lewis himself shared some thoughts, and the often-overconfident slugger demonstrated a more measured, realistic view of his path ahead. Among other things, he shared:
“I’m just trying to get to, you know, a point where I’m being myself out there. I’m never thinking about, like, 'Oh, I’m just going to go slower,' unless they tell me to." He added: “I do know that everyone’s got my best interests in mind, and they’re thinking about the long term, not just the short term.”
When might he be back with the Twins?
So, gaming this out a bit, based on Matthew Leach’s reporting, we might assume that Lewis begins a rehab assignment as early as this Friday.
These assignments can be up to 20 days for hitters, but the goal is usually to personalize this length depending on what a player’s situation is. In Lewis’s case, he’s been on the shelf since mid-March, so it’s probably safe to assume that he will need significant reps against live pitching before rejoining the Twins. If all goes well, I could speculate that fans might be eyeing a return by May 5th—maybe even a bit sooner. To be clear, this is not a timeline based on insider info from the Twins' trainers, medical staff, or other team officials. It's just an educated guess. Typically, in a situation like this with a soft-tissue injury, there are some milestones to clear.
First, he will probably play a game, then get a day off to test how his body responds. Then, he will need to be able to play in back-to-back games without adverse effects. He will need to have the opportunity to stretch, dive, and sprint. Those hurdles could be cleared in a day, or they could take several. Then, aside from the physical hurdles, there’s also the matter of ensuring his swing is ready, as he didn’t get a full spring ramp-up. To build his confidence and ease him in, it’s possible that he visits multiple different levels. A lot will depend on how he looks as he progresses through his rehab assignment, as well as how coaches have felt his swing looks in the cage and during live batting practice.
Here’s where Lewis’s supreme confidence comes to the forefront and instills hope for a speedy return, as he also added in Wednesday’s interview:
“I can hit on one leg and still be great. I just trust in my baseball ability, you know. God gave me some great gifts.”
So, if Lewis hits a grand slam in his first plate appearance with the Triple-A Saints, well, maybe he will be back sooner than we think.
What will the impact be for the rest of the roster?
This is a little trickier, because there are a lot of moving pieces. It’s tough to predict who will be healthy—or hitting—a week from now, let alone two or three weeks out. Among infielders, Luke Keaschall has looked like the real deal, putting up an OPS that would make Aaron Judge blush, while stealing bases like Elly De La Cruz.
Brooks Lee is part of the future core, even if his entré into the Twins lineup hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Carlos Correa, if healthy, will be playing every day. Ty France is entrenched at first base, and has mostly acquitted himself well there. Willi Castro is going to get his at-bats. Will the new-look infield consist of those guys, plus Lewis? Or will his return lead to a demotion of one of the other young hitters?
Perhaps the Twins decide to make Lewis an everyday DH at first, in an attempt to keep him healthy. If so, that might spell trouble for Trevor Larnach once Matt Wallner is back from his own injury. It would also prevent the sort of roster flexibility that’s been a hallmark of Baldelli’s tenure as manager, and Larnach's bat is heating up. Either way, assuming health (never a safe bet with the Twins organization), a roster crunch is likely right around the corner. But, Lewis’s return will certainly elevate a roster that’s struggled to do damage at the plate.
Another thing that’s certain is Lewis’s return (and Keaschall’s ascendance) bring a greater meritocracy to the lineup, and will prevent some of the 'tweener hitters like Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda from hoovering up plate appearance that they haven’t (strictly speaking) earned. Julien has picked it up quite a bit at the plate recently, so it's no one's first instinct to demote him, but if enough hamstrings and obliques remain intact, someone will have to be sent down.
Like I said at the top, it’s rare for the Twins to legitimately be the beneficiaries of some decent fortune. When this team goes on a five-game winning streak, we will all know that anything is possible and hope is still alive for the 2025 season.
What do you think about Lewis’s likely return? Who should be sent down to make room for him? I’d love to hear from you.
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