Royce Lewis had a moment, but it almost immediately evaporated because the Minnesota Twins couldn’t complete the comeback in their 8-7 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Detroit deployed Jason Foley with an 8-4 lead in the ninth inning. Foley promptly gave up a single to Edouard Julien and back-to-back home runs to Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler. Suddenly, it was 8-7.
Lewis hit a single to center on the next pitch and started screaming at the dugout. Foley had yet to record an out. The Twins were rolling. It looked like they’d rally and sweep the Tigers, who have given Minnesota trouble all year. But Matt Wallner’s deep fly landed on the warning track, and Donovan Solano grounded into a double play. Lewis was playing his second game back since recovering from an oblique strain. He hadn’t played since July 1, but he recorded one hit on Tuesday and three on Wednesday.
“It’s always nice to get a really good player back, and I know he’s ready to play,” said Rocco Baldelli, who hit Lewis third on Tuesday. “I don’t have much else to say. We get guys back after they miss time, and he’s worked hard and done everything he’s needed to. He’s healed up well.”
Lewis experienced minimal pain throughout his rehab. He experienced enough soreness to alert Minnesota’s medical staff on July 1. But unlike Caleb Thielbar, who had lingering pain with his oblique injury, Lewis’ pain subsided almost immediately. At times, it was frustrating for him to watch from the sidelines, knowing he felt good enough to play. But he trusted the doctors and followed the process, hoping to make an immediate impact upon his return.
“Injuries are a part of our game,” said Baldelli. “They’re a physical part and a mental part of our game. Royce has dealt with things more difficult than coming back from this that he’s going through right now, so I don’t think this minor setback is going to affect him. I think he’s in a really good place at this moment.”
On his rehab assignment in St. Paul, Lewis hit two home runs in four games. The Twins have many young, exciting players, including Wallner and Edouard Julien. But Lewis brings what the late Mike Radcliff called the “it” factor. A legendary scout, Radcliff was Minnesota’s vice president of player personnel when they drafted him. Lewis has maintained a positive spirit despite two ACL tears, the first of which occurred during an ice storm in Texas. He has a unique energy and routinely delivers in the clutch, something the Twins sorely miss when he’s out.
Lewis has been productive when he’s on the field. He hit .300/.317/.550 in 12 games as a rookie before tearing his ACL again in center field. Lewis was playing so well that the Twins wanted to keep him in the lineup. But he couldn’t play shortstop because Carlos Correa was returning from injury, and they needed a backup center fielder with Byron Buxton out. Lewis happily obliged, but he injured his ACL in his first game at center. Still, his attitude stayed the same. Even while injured, he was a positive presence in Minnesota’s clubhouse.
But no matter how much Lewis offers off the field, the Twins need him on it. He’s a right-handed batter in a lineup full of lefties. A clutch hitter on a team that has had some issues producing with runners in scoring position. He’s also integral to their future. Like Alex Kirilloff, Lewis is a young cornerstone player who’s battled injuries. Kirilloff seems to have his wrist issue under control, and Lewis’ repaired ACL has held up. He’s hitting .343/.380/.490 on a team that needs offense. He also can play multiple positions, an asset in a crowded infield.
Baldelli isn’t ready to say that Lewis has picked up where he left off, but Baldelli knows Lewis is a meaningful asset to this team.
He’s an explosive bat, and he hits from the right side, and he’s not afraid. And he’ll go right in there and give you whatever he’s got. So he’s done good things for us continually when we’ve put him in the lineup.
I didn’t immediately think, ‘Hey, Royce is coming back this week. We’re gonna hit him third or fourth.’ That wasn’t my first thought when making the lineup. But I know that I can. If I choose to, he is a guy that you can put up there, and he’s gonna compete well.
He’s capable of anything. He could have any kind of day, including a huge day. There’s a lot in the tank.
Lewis is always capable of making an impact when he’s on the field. He’s also a natural leader, one of Minnesota’s most important young players. The next step is keeping him on the field because the Twins aren’t the same without him.
