KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Royce Lewis is back on injured reserve.
The young Minnesota Twins star’s season lasted just three innings before he suffered a right quad injury that caused him to head to the IL for the fifth time in his career, according to a team source. Lewis was injured running the bases against the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day. He homered in his first at-bat of the season and singled in his second in Thursday’s opener, getting injured while trying to score from first base on a double.
Lewis previously missed the entire 2021 season and the first part of 2022 due to a torn ACL. He returned in May and suffered another torn ACL, which wiped out the remainder of 2022 and the first 53 games of last season.
Lewis also joined the IL in 2023 with an oblique strain and right hamstring injury.
Injuries — along with a 2020 minor league season wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic — have stunted the growth of one of baseball’s potential new stars. The first overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, Lewis burst onto the scene with a barrage of home runs.
He made four during his 12-game 2022 stint and followed that up with 15 during the 2023 regular season, including four Grand Slams in just 58 games. Lewis then hit four homers in six playoff games for the Twins last October, including two in his first two postseason at-bats.
Rookie utilityman Austin Martin was called up to take Lewis’s spot on the roster. The team will provide a full report on the statuses of Lewis and pitcher Anthony DeSclafani late Saturday morning. DeSclafani visited Dr. Keith Meister Friday to get an opinion on his right elbow.
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(Photo of Royce Lewis and Twins third base coach Tommy Watkins after Lewis’ Opening Day home run: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)