Royce Lewis Returns to Twins, But Where Does He Fit?

Lewis appeared to regain his confidence in St. Paul, but where will he fit into the Twins' lineup?

May 1, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) fields a ball hit by Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (5) in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Royce Lewis is officially heading back to the big leagues after a dominant 13-game stretch with Triple-A St. Paul. He appeared to regain his confidence with the Saints. The question now becomes, where does he fit in with the Twins?

Lewis seriously struggled in the majors to begin the season. He was slashing .163/.261/.279 with 3 home runs and 13 RBIs in 31 games. He was amid a two-year slump since his standout 2023 season, and it was clear something needed to change. He was demoted to Triple-A, and the move yielded some impressive results.

ROYCE. LEWIS. 😲

The @Twins infielder belts a grand slam for his 10th homer in 13 games with the @StPaulSaints. pic.twitter.com/jE5vf4eZ0o

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 3, 2026

Lewis looked like a big-league player with the Saints, as he slashed .340/.417/.868 with eight home runs during his 13-game stretch. The most interesting development came over the last week when he began working at first and second base.

Lewis has spent the majority of his big league career at third base, but the Twins opted to move Brooks Lee to the hot corner full time. That decision likely prompted Lewis to get reps at a different position with the Saints. Minnesota designated James Outman for assignment to make room for Lewis, so it's fair to presume he will be playing second or first base with the Twins going forward.

Lewis was once one of the hottest prospects in baseball, but he's still only 27 years old. His next stretch in the big leagues this summer feels like it could be a pivotal point in his Twins career and long-term future with the franchise.

The expectation is that Minnesota rolls out a combination of Luke Keaschall, Kody Clemens, and Lewis at first and second base going forward. Lee will play third, and we're still waiting for top prospect Kaelen Culpepper to finally get the call-up to the majors. On paper, it looks like a very talented and relatively young infield. If Lewis looks comfortable on the right side and plays as he did in St. Paul, it would give the Twins plenty of flexibility going forward.

It has felt like a long time since Lewis was hyped up like the No. 1 overall pick he was in 2017. The Twins don't have much to lose as a 30-35 ball club in June, and their latest experiement could be what finally gets Lewis out of his big league funk. The Twins will have a pair of games this weekend against the Royals, before an off-day on Monday and then a three-game road trip against the Tigers.