Royce Lewis homers, leaves game with injury as Twins get rocked by Astros

Lewis was sprinting out a single in the ninth inning when he pulled up lame.
Jun 10, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Jun 10, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) celebrates after hitting an RBI single against the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images / Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
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The Twins got blasted 10-3 by the Astros Friday night in Houston, but more concerning than giving up at least 10 runs for the fourth time in the last eight games was Royce Lewis leaving the game with an apparent injury.

Lewis, who smashed a 425-foot homer in the sixth inning, singled in the ninth inning but exited the game after he pulled up while sprinting to first base. He didn't look devastated by any means, but the trainer and manager Rocco Baldelli quickly met him at first base and took him out of the game.

It could be a brutal blow for the Twins and Lewis, who hasn't been able to stay healthy since being drafted first overall by Minnesota in the 2017 MLB Draft.

“We don’t know a lot right now,” Baldelli told reporters. “He does have a left hamstring strain of some kind. I can’t tell you how severe at this time. He actually tested relatively well after the game upon examination in the training room. We’re going to bring him in (Saturday) and check him out, see how he comes in. A lot of times, you learn a lot just by how the guy shows up the next day, how he can move around, what he’s capable of doing. That’ll tell us a lot.”

Lewis missed the first two months of last season with a quad strain and he was out the first 35 games of this season after suffering a hamstring strain during a mid-April spring training game.

The Twins never had a chance Friday night as Houston lit up Chris Paddack for nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits and one walk in four innings before the bullpen held Houston in check the rest of the night.

Minnesota started the season 13-20, won 13 games in a row and is now 10-13 since that winning streak. The pitching has been dreadful of late, having allowed 14 runs to the A's on June 5, 16 to the Rangers on Tuesday and then again on Thursday, and 10 more Friday night to the Astros.

Up next: Twins at Astros, Saturday at 3:10 p.m. CT.

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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.