Slumping Royce Lewis Knows His Time With Twins May Be Running Out

Lewis is struggling immensely at the plate and recently admitted to Audra Martin that he worries about his job security.

Apr 2, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) reacts after striking out during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Royce Lewis is in a deep funk right now.

Since returning from the injured list on April 21, Lewis has gone 5 for 41 with one home run, one walk, and 15 strikeouts. That's a .122 batting average and .354 OPS, and the eye test has shown a player who looks uncomfortable and unsure of himself at the plate. For the season, Lewis is hitting .169 with three homers and a .581 OPS in 89 plate appearances.

In an attempt to help him shake out of this skid, Twins manager Derek Shelton has given Lewis consecutive days off this week. He didn't play on Wednesday night and remained out of the lineup for Thursday's matinee game against the Nationals, with Tristan Gray starting at third base both times. Shelton called it "a chance to work on his swing, kind of reset, and get out there ready to go tomorrow," according to Twins.TV sideline reporter Audra Martin.

Lewis, who has always been rather open and candid when talking to the media, knows he doesn't have forever to turn his season around. He's been honest about the pressure he's facing during this slow start and the uncertainty it has created around his future, as Martin detailed in a report during Thursday's broadcast.

"Royce is fighting it right now," Martin said. "He knows the results are not where they need to be. And he admits it is weighing on him. Yesterday, he very candidly said that there are moments when he leaves the ballpark and wonders if his job is at risk, wondering if they still want him here and that there's always somebody on your tail, ready to take your job.

"He said that's tough to deal with, but he said he's staying upbeat, the camaraderie in the clubhouse right now is helping him stay positive, and he said 'Every day, I'm here fighting, working as hard as I can to show that I am giving it my all to keep my job, because I love what I do and I want to help my team win.'"

Royce Lewis sits in the Twins' dugout on Thursday, May 7 | Twins.TV

It's not often you hear a professional athlete make that kind of admission, but Lewis is clearly aware of the situation he's currently in. Once a home run machine who was only slowed by injuries, he's been a firmly below-average hitter since the middle of August two seasons ago. And at some point, if Lewis doesn't figure it out at the plate, the Twins will have no choice but to move on. Kaelen Culpepper, their top infield prospect, may not be far away from making his big-league debut.

All hope is not lost for Lewis, who turns 27 next month. It sounds like he'll be back in the lineup on Friday night in Cleveland, and the Twins are going to give the former No. 1 overall pick every opportunity to bounce back. Even while struggling this year, he's barreled up some balls. Twins shortstop Brooks Lee was in a similar spot a few weeks ago and has been one of Minnesota's hottest hitters since then, so it can be done.

Still, the unfortunate reality is that it's hard to be particularly optimistic about Lewis right now. Not only does he look lost at the plate, he's been a subpar defender at third base who struggles to make accurate throws across the diamond with awkward-looking form. He's going to have to make some real adjustments, both offensively and defensively, to get back to being a productive big-league starter.

Lewis knows his time to prove himself with the Twins may be running low. It'll be very interesting to see how he responds to that pressure after this two-day reset.