HOUSTON — Minnesota Twins’ third baseman Royce Lewis experienced a setback on Friday night during their game against the Houston Astros, as he strained his left hamstring in the ninth inning.
The injury occurred when Lewis was sprinting to first base after hitting a single. Following the incident, he had to be replaced by a pinch-runner. Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli commented on the situation, noting that while the initial assessment suggested a strain, the severity of the injury was yet to be determined.
“He actually tested relatively well after the game upon examination in the training room,” Baldelli explained. “We’re going to bring him in tomorrow and check him out, see how he comes in. A lot of the 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 will tell us a lot, and then we’ll be able to make a decision of some kind as far as the next step one way or the other.”
Lewis has been previously sidelined at the start of the season, missing the initial 35 games due to a moderate strain of the same hamstring, which he injured while sprinting during spring training. This recent incident adds to a history of injuries that have beleaguered Lewis, the top pick of the 2017 draft.
Last season alone, Lewis was limited to just 82 games because of a severe quadriceps strain and a groin injury. Prior to that, he suffered from torn ACL injuries in his right knee in both 2021 and 2022. Lewis demonstrated his potential by hitting a home run during Friday’s game and currently boasts a .202 batting average, with two home runs and nine RBIs across 30 games this season.