HOUSTON — On Saturday, the Minnesota Twins announced that third baseman Royce Lewis would be moving to the 10-day injured list due to a strain in his left hamstring.
In the same game against the Houston Astros, center fielder Byron Buxton exited during the seventh inning after being struck on the left elbow by a pitch earlier, sustaining a bruise.
The incident with Lewis occurred as he sprinted to first base after hitting a single in the ninth inning of a loss to Houston, which ended 10-3 on Friday night. Following the incident, he underwent an MRI on Saturday. Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli described the strain as mild.
According to Baldelli, “It’s not a severe strain, but it does mean he’ll be absent from the field for some time. It’s definitely disappointing, but these are the challenges we face.”
Despite not being given a specific recovery timeline, Lewis shared that he was beginning to feel better by Saturday and expressed optimism about a swift return.
This setback is particularly disheartening for Lewis as he had previously missed the first 35 matches of the current season due to a moderate hamstring strain on the same leg during spring training.
The 2017 first overall pick, Lewis, has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career. Last season, he featured in only 82 games as he grappled with a severe quadriceps strain and a groin issue, compounded by having torn the ACL in his right knee in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022.
Currently batting .202 with two homers and nine RBIs over 30 games this season, Lewis had managed to homer in the Friday game before his injury. Commenting on this recent setback, he said, “I think it’s frustrating in general. I’m tired of being the one that’s getting bullied and picked on by this game.”
Meanwhile, Houston’s starting pitcher Hunter Brown hit Buxton on the elbow as he led off the sixth inning. After receiving immediate attention from a trainer, he continued playing but was eventually replaced in the field by Harrison Bader in the seventh.
Baldelli mentioned that Buxton will be evaluated day-to-day. He noted, “It caught him very, very square, and it’s gonna hurt. He feels it and he’s having trouble moving it too, too much. We’re not worried long term, but right now he’s hurting.”