Royce Lewis Says He is Being Assigned to St. Paul for a Rehab Assignment

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Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins are opening a three game series vs the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday and they could sure use their best hitter, Royce Lewis, in the lineup. Unfortunately, that will not happen.

Royce Lewis to begin rehab assignment

Starting on Tuesday, according to what Lewis told reporters today, he will begin a rehab assignment at Triple A St. Paul. It’s a positive development in this most recent injury saga. Sooner, rather than later, we should see Royce back in a Twins uniform.

One has to wonder, though, whether or not the 25-year-old Royce Lewis really needs a rehab assignment, before returning to the lineup. He’s been telling reporters behind the scenes that he’s been ready to go for awhile. That it’s the Twins organization that’s been holding him back.

Royce Lewis feared Minnesota Twins “babying” his injury… and now here we are

Prior to going on the injured list, Lewis told a gaggle of media members gathered around his locker that he was worried the Twins organization would baby his injury, like they have in the past. A few weeks later, he’s being forced to take a rehab assignment after claims that he’s been ready for weeks.

Related: Pohlads Unlikely to Approve ANY Increase in Twins Payroll at MLB Trade Deadline

I mean, what exactly does Royce Lewis have to prove in St. Paul? We all know he doesn’t need a ramp up period to get his swing right. We’ve seen him drop into the lineup cold before, just to drop bombs into the outfield stands.

Do they want him to show that he is healthy enough for baseball activities? This isn’t football, basketball or hockey. It shouldn’t be that difficult to simulate the physical stress put on your body by a baseball game.

Royce Lewis is batting .289 on the season, with a 1.039 OPS and 185 OPS+. He’s played in just 24 of the Twins’ 96 games this season. Yet, he sits 4th on the team in homers (10), 6th in offensive WAR (1.1) and 11th in RBI (18).

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