St. Paul – The Minnesota Twins have expedited many players on rehab assignments this season. However, that won’t be the case for Mr. Grand Slam, Royce Lewis, who began his rehab assignment over the weekend.
“He’s going to be getting a bunch of rehab at-bats; this isn’t going to be a one, or two, or three-game thing for Royce,” said Twins manager Rocco Baldelli on Lewis’s rehab plans. “He’s making up for a lot of missed time and almost has to restart; it’s like a light spring training for him.”
Brooks Lee and Brock Stewart were the two Twins who returned from injuries and started rehab assignments before Lewis. Neither played more than four games before the Twins added them to the roster.
The circumstances surrounding the team’s performance were part of the decision-making process. The Twins optioned Jose Miranda, who was hitting .167/.167/.250 and had made a crucial base-running error, down to the minors to activate Lee.
Stewart only pitched two games with Low-A Fort Myers before returning on April 19. However, the Twins needed a fresh arm in the bullpen against the Atlanta Braves after losing 6-4 the night before his return.
Fortunately, Lee and Stewart’s rushed returns have worked out in Minnesota. They remained healthy and played well in the weeks they’ve been on the active roster. In Lewis’s case, the Twins front office didn’t need to send him back down to Fort Myers before joining Triple-A St. Paul because his hamstring has healed over the last six weeks.
“It’s just a testament to the Twins and the staff letting me start here,” said Lewis. “I think I am just here to try and prove it to them that I am ready, and this is a great place to do it, right down the street.”
Lewis and Twins fans want him to return to the lineup as quickly as possible. However, Minnesota’s training staff plans for Lewis indicate he will spend all week in Columbus playing with the Saints. That would set him up to return to the Twins lineup as early as May 6 during the next homestand at Target Field.
“Trust me, as much as I know, I can come up and play immediately,” said Lewis. “I’m going to follow and listen to what they have to say. They have the best care in the world for me, the training staff, but hopefully I don’t waste a lot of hits down here while I’m feeling good at the plate.”
Lewis has looked good at the plate in his first two rehab games. In Sunday’s game, he went 3-for-6 with a double and a sac fly RBI approximately 10-15 feet short of the left field wall for a grand slam.
The small sample size has been promising; Lewis still has his groove. However, two games are a small sample size, and his performance in Columbus will be more meaningful.
“[I had] a good approach at the plate for each pitcher,” Lewis said regarding Saturday’s game. “Defensively, my prep step was down in a much better spot today. My arm felt like it was loose today, which was nice, making some good throws over there to first.”
“I thought he looked good,” said Saints manager Toby Gardenhire. “He’s still shaking off some rust. He’s going through things, trying to feel out his body and see what he can do and can’t do, and I thought today was good. It was another step in the right direction.”
The Saints are off on Monday, so Lewis will likely be back in St. Paul’s lineup on Tuesday. However, the Twins are still undecided on whether he will play another game at third or DH. Lewis has yet to play back-to-back games as he had a scheduled off-day on Saturday.
Toby Gardenhire gets 300th career win as Saints manager
The biggest milestone in Sunday’s Saints game was Gardenhire getting his 300th career win in a Saints uniform. Gardenhire has been managing the Saints since they became the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and has seen all their top prospects, from Lewis to Joe Ryan, and Luke Keaschall to Zebby Matthews, pass through his roster throughout that time.
“It means I’ve been here for a long time and I’m getting old,” said Gardenhire on his 300th win with the Saints. “I love it here in St. Paul, so every year I get to come back here is great, it’s always fun getting the numbers up. They’re kind of like steps on the way that show you’ve been here for a long time, so it’s a lot of fun.”
Gardenhire has been managing for Twins Minor League affiliates since 2018, with his first stint as the manager of the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and has a lifetime record of 458-415 as a manager.
