The Flip Side of Thursday's Injury Scare

Once the games start mattering, nothing else does. Spring training stats and storylines go out the window when the heat is on and the results count. Royce Lewis gave us a fine reminder of that on Thursday. After a hugely encouraging and productive spring camp, he declared himself ready to silence the "injury-prone" label, setting his sights on a full healthy season. Two (brilliant) at-bats into the campaign, that ambition came crashing down. 

Looking to score from first on a double, Lewis injured his leg sprinting around second base, pulling into third with a limp and quickly exiting the game. He went for scans on what is currently being described as a quad strain. As fans await further detail (likely coming on Saturday), we're left to grapple with the reality that the rising star is once again likely to miss substantial time.

It's a huge bummer! But lost in the despair over this crusher of a development is the flip side: three other extremely important players--who now just became all the more important--offered some very reassuring signs on Opening Day. These three players all checked out well physically, and that's something to celebrate.

Byron Buxton has a beautifully uneventful day
He started in center field and batted leadoff in his first start since August 1st, 2023, which felt like a little bit of a declarative statement. The lack of news was good news in this one for Buxton, who went 1-for-4 with a blistering 110.3 MPH single and handled defensive duties with no issue.

As Dan Hayes shared in a great piece for The Athletic, Buxton was downright ecstatic to finish the game feeling as good as he did, finally able to compete at the level he wants and deserves.

"Just the little bitty things was what made me happy,” Buxton said in the article. “It wasn’t getting a hit or the big things you see. It was like, ‘I played a whole nine innings in center and feel good.’ To come out the way we did and feel the way we did, and feel the way I did, I feel like the sky’s limit. I feel good, we feel good and it’s all about sticking together and keeping that bond and keep backing each other up.”

Carlos Correa looks spry and special
Correa, like Buxton, had a promising spring, telling reporters his foot was feeling better after plantar fasciitis haunted him through the 2023 season. But again, all the rosy spring narratives don't mean much once the games matter. In his first meaningful action of the year, Correa sent a pretty emphatic message with his Opening Day performance, reaching base four times and making multiple stellar plays defensively at short.

Correa playing at his peak ability with the glove while crushing the ball and driving in runs from the middle of the lineup? Sign me up. For however long Lewis is sidelined, there will be no making up for what he brings to the table ... but Correa and Buxton both playing to the level of they showed on Thursday would go a long way toward mitigating the loss.

Brock Stewart shows his stuff
While not affected by the Lewis injury, Stewart's importance in the bullpen was heightened dramatically by late-spring injuries to Jhoan Durán and Caleb Thielbar. That's a precarious proposition, given just how much Stewart has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career. Last year, another bout of arm elbow problems cost him basically the whole second half. But he was able to come back and finish strong, then enjoyed a normal spring camp.

He became the first reliever to appear out of the Twins' bullpen this season when he entered to pitch the eighth on Thursday, delivering a clean inning and handing the ball over to Griffin Jax for the save. Stewart's fastball reached as high as 97.9 MPH. His top-end velocity helped him produce a 0.65 ERA in 2023; if he can stay on the mound and dominate in similar fashion here in April and May, the Twins will have a chance to weather Durán's absence with minimal impact.

Stewart, Correa and Buxton are vital components of the Twins and their vision for success. Much hinges on their ability to shake off the injury woes and produce at the level they've proven capable. The team is counting on them more than ever, so it's really heartening to see their seasons get off to resoundingly positive starts.

What encouraged you most about Opening Day and the individual showings we saw? How pleased are you with you saw from these three and others? Share your thoughts in the comments.