The Minnesota Twins have a big decision coming as top prospect Royce Lewis is eligible to return from his rehab assignment on Monday.
Lewis is trying to make that decision an easy one as he launched another home run for the St. Paul Saints during a 14-1 win over Omaha on Saturday night.
"He has done enough!"
The @Twins' No. 2 prospect (MLB 34) Royce Lewis elevates his OPS to 1.098 with a homer to left field for the @StPaulSaints. pic.twitter.com/N7QI3li04i
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 28, 2023
Lewis has raked on his rehab assignment as he looks to return from two ACL tears in a span of 15 months. With his most recent injury occurring last May, Lewis isn’t showing any rust, hitting .333/.395/.692 with four homers, 11 RBI and four stolen bases in 10 games between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul.
With numbers like that, Lewis doesn’t have anything to prove in the minor leagues but it’s still uncertain what the Twins will do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.
The Twins could use another bat in the lineup but would have to send someone down to make room for Lewis. Kyle Garlick or Matt Wallner could be candidates to be optioned, but the Twins need corner outfield depth with Max Kepler and Trevor Larnach currently on the injured list.
Even if the Twins make the move, it would be interesting to see where he would play in the field. The Twins have alternated Lewis between shortstop and third base during his rehab assignment and have no plans of using him in the outfield, where Lewis suffered his second ACL tear last May.
1, 2 punch to end the inning🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/2zRvfpWRgy
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) May 25, 2023
With Carlos Correa avoiding the injury list while dealing with plantar fasciitis and Kyle Farmer currently manning third base, the Twins could consider getting Lewis, who has played in just 56 games since the end of the 2019 season, regular playing time with the Saints.
“We’re going to do whatever…is the right thing to do to win games,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters when asked about Lewis’s return earlier this week. “…He’s an exciting young player because he can do a lot of different things…but all that said, we’re going to do what’s right for him and what’s right for the team.”
But it appears Lewis is ready for his return to the major leagues and it could happen on Monday afternoon when the Twins open a three-game series with the Houston Astros.
