MINNEAPOLIS — Royce Lewis was placed on the 10-day injured list by the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday with a right adductor strain, the latest setback in the star infielder’s young career, and called up prospect Brooks Lee in his place.
Lewis, 25, is on the injured list for the second time this season after he missed 58 games with a partially torn quadriceps in his right leg. He’s also made his way back twice from ACL tears in his right knee since being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft by Minnesota.
Lewis was removed from Tuesday’s game against Detroit with what the team first declared was left groin tightness after he pulled slowly into second following a two-run, two-out double.
“Probably not very optimistic, to be honest with you,” Lewis said after the game. “I’m praying, but it’s usually always horrible news. So, we’ll see.”
Lewis has 31 homers and 80 RBIs in just 100 major league games, including the postseason.
He was hitting .292 with 10 home runs and 18 RBIs with a 1.039 OPS in 24 games this season.
“Dealing with things that are really difficult never becomes easy, but they become easier as time goes on,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Wednesday. “The more you experience in life — he’s already dealt with a lot of physical injuries, physical ailments early on in his career. He’s dealt with them all really well. I have no doubt he’s gonna deal with this perfectly fine.”
The team hasn’t announced a timeline for Lewis’ return but said he’d be reassessed after the upcoming All-Star break.
“Most likely, but he’s going to be down a few weeks,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said. “That’s our current expectation. Obviously tough news for Royce. He’s been through a lot.”
Replacing Lewis on the roster is Lee, the No. 8 overall pick by Minnesota in the 2022 draft who is rated as the No. 13 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. A switch hitter, Lee was recently named to the All-Star Futures Game.
Drafted as a shortstop, he has played around the infield for Triple-A St. Paul this season and was in Wednesday’s lineup at third base for the Twins against Detroit for his debut. He had two hits in the game and had his first career RBI, driving in Byron Buxton in the seventh inning with a single.
Lee, 23, has hit .329 with seven homers and 21 RBIs with a 1.029 OPS in 20 games for St. Paul.
“As long as I’m in the lineup and we win, that’s all that matters to me,” Lee said. “And they know how to win already, so I’m not too worried about that.”
Lee, too, is coming off injury. He missed two months earlier this season with a herniated disk in his back.
“When you look down and see what he’s been doing since he came back healthy, you really couldn’t ask for much more,” Falvey said. “This kid’s hit from both sides of the plate. He’s even better right-handed than he has been over the last few years. He’s got a really good feel for defense.”
To make room on the 40-man roster to select Lee’s contract from Triple-A, Minnesota transferred right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart to the 60-day injured list. Stewart is out with right shoulder tendinitis, but Falvey said the move isn’t a reflection of Stewart’s outlook.
