Royce Lewis Isn’t Going 100 Percent, and That’s a Good Thing

7 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Wut?

The mental gymnastics here are bordering on Olympic level.

10 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

No offense, but did you guys watch the game? Lewis made the classic "see the line drive start going toward third so I can score on a single" baserunning error and was toast coming back. Diving would not have helped; it would have slowed him down. He dives, he's out. He was likely out once he made that first move toward 3B.  He made the smart and correct baseball play to go back high and create a tougher throw in the hope KC didn't execute the play. That was his only shot at not getting doubled off. 

Let's not forget that Lewis has played in roughly 165 games, the basic equivalent of 1 (!) season in the Bigs. He is going to make rookie mistakes. The mistake he made yesterday is common and made by guys who have played 10 years in the Bigs. C'mon now, all of us who have played even beer league softball have done the exact same thing as have all serious players. We can and should wonder why he isn't hitting worth a damn, but i don't think its fair to criticize him for somehow not trying hard enough.  

Idk you can watch that attempt to get back to 2B and think his best shot at getting there was to pull up and toe tap his way to the bag. There's no world in which Lewis actually pivoting and making an effort to dive back somehow makes him slower. 

Misreading a ball in play isn't what's being questioned. Yeah, mistakes happen, whatever. FWIW Lewis's lack of game time over the last 4 years doesn't matter. That play happens at all levels of baseball, and he has played plenty of ball in his life. It was a tough read and he got caught. The issue is giving up outs on the bases. This team, and Lewis as an individual, aren't good enough to do that. Honestly, nobody really is. 

1 hour ago, TheLeviathan said:

I guess here's what confuses me: why does he look like Mostly-Normal Royce on defense and Retirement-Home Royce at the plate and running?  

I would think his injury would roughly impact both sides of the ball equally.  If anything I'd expect it to hurt him in the field more than standing at the plate.  Yet.....the reverse seems to be true?

I think someone needs to pull him aside and tell him that everyone appreciates that he's a gamer and is trying to help the team.  But right now he's too hurt to do it.  Spin it whatever way you need to for him to get right before he comes back.

Idk if the shift in Buxton's handling the last few years is applicable here, but if the idea is that Royce dogging it on the bases prevents another injury it's beyond time to rethink that. Move at full speed, at all times, until you can't, or if you're currently unable to do that, then 100% go back on the IL. This half in half out stuff isn't working. 

If his name were Tony Oliva....but it's not.....

Lewis may be the case of the organization panicking and rushing him back too soon.  When Lewis was activated off the IL (May 6th), the Twins were 15-20 and the season on the brink after the Cleveland series although some optimism was blossoming taking 2 of 3 from the Red Sox as the start of the thirteen-game winning streak.  The excitement that Lewis was coming back even was the focus as a ticket-selling advertisement.  Lewis's line while on rehab was:  23AB, 4H, 3R, 1 RBI, .174/.167/.384.  His play in St. Paul while on rehab was clearly not ready for recall as we are seeing with a much more patient approach with Wallner with a similar hamstring strain as Lewis.  

As for Lewis not running 100%, how many years have we heard this conversation about Buxton about playing with reckless abandonment and eventually getting injured.  Ultimately, the best ability on the field is availability.  If Lewis cruises into second instead of stretching out for 3rd, that's fine.  We have seen it with many players including Buxton and Correa do the same thing as the expectation is they can score from second on a sharp single.  Earlier in the season we were praising Buxton for his resurgence as this was the first offseason that he had where he was not recovering or rehabbing from an injury.  We haven't seen this from Lewis yet as it seems like he has always been recovering from an injury of some sort.  

Now that the Twins have turned their season around (for now of course), my hope for Lewis is that:

1) he can either figure it out on the Twins roster with possible extra days off since the roster has healed up to the point where he is not needed in the lineup every day just to make out a roster. Definitely moving farther down in the lineup (6-9) until he finds his stroke again,

2) he is placed back on the IL if there is something still lingering with him that he cannot gear up to 100%,

3) or, he is optioned back to St. Paul to work on his swing and timing similar to what we have seen with Larnach and Wallner with the expectation that he will be recalled when ready.  Many of the best players in the game had to get sent back down at some point in their careers so hopefully Lewis would take this as a way to fix things out of the limelight.

Dumb Take. Twins are not good enough to have players playing at reduced effort! Royce has been up to bat in several key situations and just doesn't look comfortable. Maybe back to St Paul would help!