Fastball

Minnesota Twins Lose Breakout Slugger to Injured List

The Minnesota Twins have lost slugging third baseman Royce Lewis to the injured list after just one game due to a hamstring issue. It's the latest frustrating setback for Lewis, who has dealt with injuries throughout his career.

Brady Farkas

Oct 11, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) reacts
Oct 11, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) reacts / Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
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In another frustrating setback, Minnesota Twins' infielder Royce Lewis is headed to the injured list after just one game. He's dealing with a quadriceps issue that caused him to leave the Opening Day game early on Thursday.

Per Twins' reporter Do-Hyoung Park on social media:

Royce Lewis is expected to head to the IL today, with Austin Martin called up in his place. Further details expected later this morning.

Lewis was 2-for-2 in that opener with a home run and a single and is expected to be a major contributor to the Twins' offense this year - that is if he can stay on the field.

Formerly a top prospect, the 24-year-old California native has played just 71 career games since debuting in 2022. He played only 12 games in 2022 and 58 in 2023.

As for Martin, he is ranked the No. 15 prospect in the organization, per MLB.com. Here's a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

From the outset, coaching staffs have worked with Martin to drive the ball more and no adjustments have ever stuck. What he does have is incredible bat-to-ball skills; the right-handed hitter has struck out in just 16.5 percent of his plate appearances heading into 2024. He draws walks and can spray the ball to all fields and, to his credit, did hit the ball on the ground less once he recovered from the elbow injury at midseason last year and he had a big August where he drove the ball more consistently.

The Twins and Royals will play each other again on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.