So far down in Fort Myers, the Minnesota Twins have dealt with mostly bad news. Derek Shelton’s team lost ace Pablo Lopez before he completed his first live batting practice session. Then Joe Ryan was scratched, and Royce Lewis followed suit.

Thankfully Ryan appears to have avoided any sort of serious injury. When it comes to Lewis and his health, the Twins are always waiting with bated breath, but this time they can let out a sigh of relief.

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Royce Lewis good to go for MN Twins

On Thursday ahead of their tilt against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Minnesota Twins scratched Royce Lewis from the lineup. He was dealing with tightness on his right side, and went for imaging. Now Dan Hayes (The Athleltic) has reported a positive outcome.

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The good news is that Royce Lewis’ MRI came back clean. The bad news is that he already underwent an MRI just a week into Grapefruit League action. Last season he suffered a serious hamstring injury at the end of Spring Training and it was aggravated again during the season.

If the MN Twins have any hope of being competitive this season, they’ll need holdover talent like Lewis to be right for the year. Across 106 games in 2025, Lewis batted .237/.283/.388. His 83 OPS+ was a career low, and it prompted a whole new offseason regimen.

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Lewis hired a personal hitting coach this winter, and he bulked up looking to maintain his body throughout the season. If that pays off, then the Twins could again be looking at the blossoming star they saw in 2023.

Minnesota Twins banking on infield talent

Beyond just Lewis, the Minnesota Twins need their infield to rise up in 2026. If Shelton’s team is going to be good, it will come on the back of Lewis, Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall, and Josh Bell.

Yes, Byron Buxton is the superstar in Minnesota’s lineup. That has never been in doubt, and his availability is the only thing that holds him back. The infield though, is where so much hope lies.

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Lee doesn’t look the part of a regular shortstop and he hasn’t hit. Keaschall needs to replicate his strong rookie season. Bell needs to be the bat that Minnesota banked on in free agency.

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