![\"Royce](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/MLB-Arizona-Diamondbacks-at-Minnesota-Twins-27066332-scaled-e1772129042619.jpg\")
Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Twins have already been dealing with a bevy of injuries<\/a> to their starting staff, some more devastating<\/a> than others. Pablo Lopez got some good news from his Tommy John surgery, but he\u2019ll still miss the remainder of the season<\/a>.<\/p>\n Not long after, Joe Ryan escaped the same frustrating diagnosis after he was scratched<\/a> \u201cout of an abundance of caution\u201d from his first spring start. Thankfully, his lower-back tightness proved to be nothing more than short-term inflammation. Unfortunately, the Twins\u2019 injury bug appears to have moved to the batting lineup.<\/p>\n Royce Lewis scratched from MN Twins lineup<\/p>\n On his first at bat of Grapefruit League action, Royce Lewis launched his first home run<\/a> of the exhibition season, quickly reminding the Twins of the high end talent their young third baseman still possesses, if he can just stay healthy.<\/p>\n Less than a week later, a bulked up<\/a> Lewis became the second big-name Twin to be scratched from a lineup this February \u201cout of an abundance of caution\u201d. Royce\u2019s ailment, according to Dan Hayes (The Athletic)<\/a> is \u201ctightness in on his right side.\u201d<\/p>\n #MNTwins<\/a> scratched Royce Lewis from today\u2019s game. Per media relations: Lewis experienced tightness on right side after running the bases pregame. Scratched \u201cout of abundance of caution.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) February 26, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Lewis\u2019 latest injury comes off a 2025 spring training in which Lewis suffered a significant hamstring strain<\/a> that cost him the start of the season. He came back early, just to aggravated it later<\/a>, which cost the 26-year-old multiple more months on the shelf.<\/p>\n Hayes describes Lewis\u2019 tightness only as \u201cright side\u201d, which leads one to believe it\u2019s his upper body, though it\u2019s possible it could be lower-body too.<\/p>\n Last season Lewis played in a career-high 106 games, which isn\u2019t something Royce Lewis goes around bragging about, especially being his career-worst .237\/.283\/.388 slash line<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nonetheless, the Minnesota Twins were relying on young talents like Lewis taking the next step in their development this season. That can\u2019t happen if those players aren\u2019t on the field.<\/p>\n Contingency plans for Minnesota Twins<\/p>\n Lewis is the unquestioned starter at third base if he is healthy. There isn\u2019t a great group of veteran options behind him either. Gio Urshela is in camp and started there for the Twins previously, but has fallen off significantly (78 OPS+)<\/a> the past two seasons.<\/p>\n It\u2019s possible that Ryan Kreidler or Tristan Gray could fill in, but neither of those options have much upside. If the Twins wanted to get really aggressive early in the season, they could call Kaelen Culpepper\u2019s number.<\/p>\n Opposite field double for Twins prospect Kaelen Culpepper.<\/p>\n Future starting shortstop. pic.twitter.com\/2CLEZ3Ddt3<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Ted (@tlschwerz) February 25, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n The star prospect would take over at shortstop and push Brooks Lee to third. Lee is not likely to show well at shortstop<\/a>, and Culpepper appears to be a fit there. He has yet to appear at Triple-A, but was close to a promotion last season (.289\/.375\/.469 in 113 A+\/AA games<\/a>) and has a chance to showcase his stuff in camp.<\/p>\n Ideally the Minnesota Twins aren\u2019t forced into drastic decisions regarding Royce Lewis any time soon. The unfortunate reality is that he has struggled to provide consistencies to suggest otherwise.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Royce Lewis<\/a> <\/p>\n More About:Minnesota Twins<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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