Royce Lewis Debuts at Another Position as Twins Fall to Royals

Minnesota's ninth-inning magic was not enough on Sunday.

Jun 7, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Connor Prielipp (61) throws a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Twins wrapped up a four-game series with a 6-5 loss against Kansas City on Sunday at Target Field. They had a little ninth-inning magic, but it was too little too late for the Royals, who are now leaving Minnesota with three wins.

Sunday was Royce Lewis' second game back with the Twins, and it was his second game at a different position. He started at second base on Saturday for just the second time in his MLB career, and he started at first base on Sunday for the first time in his big league career.

To Target Field and beyond

📺 https://t.co/usGFyQCbUx pic.twitter.com/tigromeuii

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 7, 2026

Brooks Lee's full-time move to third base meant Lewis' clearest path back to the majors was with a position change. They tried that out in St. Paul, and the experiment has continued with the Twins. Luke Keaschall played second base on Sunday, Orlando Arcia was at shortstop, and Lee was at third base. After going 0-3 on Saturday with one walk, Lewis responded with a 1-4 outing on Sunday at first base.

Minnesota was without Byron Buxton for the second straight game, but he's expected to be back soon. He collided with the wall after making a highlight catch on Friday night. He suffered a shoulder injury, but reports indicate that he's close to returning. With an off-day on Monday, there's a good chance he's back in the lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Tigers.

Connor Prielipp started on Sunday, and he had his most productive outing since May 16, but he didn't receive much run support. He allowed four hits and two earned runs in 4.1 innings, while striking out four batters.

Ryan Kreidler drove in Minnesota's lone run in the third inning, and they combined for only three hits as a team. Royals LHP Noah Cameron was dominant for six innings with seven strikeouts, and the Twins had no answers.

Andrew Morris was the first pitcher to relieve Prielipp, and he struggled. He allowed three hits and three earned runs in just 1.2 innings of work. It marked his second straight outing with multiple earned runs. Cody Laweryson and Justin Lawrence fared a little better by allowing just two hits in three combined innings.

Minnesota found some ninth-inning magic from Josh Bell, who drove a two-run homer to cut the lead to 6-4, and Victor Caratini had an RBI single, but the comeback stopped there, and the Royals held on 6-5. The Twins are now 30-37 on the season, and they will be off on Monday before beginning a three-game series in Detroit.