Twins' ex-No.1 draft pick undeterred by injury keeping him out of Opening Day

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis will be unavailable for Opening Day against the St. Louis Cardinals at Target Field on March 27. MRI reports have confirmed that Lewis suffered a moderate left hamstring strain as he ran to collect a ground ball during a Grapefruit League game on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Florida.

Royce Lewis was selected right out of high school by the Minnesota Twins as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft. The 25-year-old right-hander has shown great potential as a power hitter when he has stayed on the field. However, recurring injuries have severely hampered his career, limiting him to 152 games over the past three seasons.

In an interview with Minnesota Star Tribune, Royce Lewis, though, played down the injury concerns.

"It just felt more like tightness in the moment. It got real tight," he said. "The natural reaction is to grab it. I was hobbling around, trying to stay off it. But nothing too crazy, to be honest. I was able to walk off on my own power.

"Definitely not the best emotions. I was frustrated, bummed out. I just want a chance. Anyone in this room would say the same thing, they just want an opportunity," he added. "To have that opportunity taken away not because of how you’re playing, but because of this — that’s hard. It’d be one thing if I’m struggling my way out of the lineup, but it’s another to be just not able to put myself in there."

Lewis hit a home run against the Kansas City Royals last year on Opening Day but suffered a quadriceps injury in the game that kept him out of action until June.

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"That’s why we get them ready to play different spots": Twins manager Rocco Baldelli

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli is constantly hindered by injuries to key players (Image Source: IMAGN)

Following the injury to Royce Lewis, infield prospect Brooks Lee started at third base for the Minnesota Twins in their spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Willi Castro and Jose Miranda are the other two possible candidates to be the starting third baseman on Opening Day.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli shared some insight into the team's approach to deal with the issue.

"We knew that at some point we were going to have to move guys around," he said.

"That’s why we get them ready to play different spots. The versatility in all of these guys will continue to be important, and we know we’re going to need them to play different spots."

The Twins had to deal without three of their top players, Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis, for a good chunk of last season. They missed out on a postseason berth as a result after finishing fourth in the American League Central with an 82-80 record.