Inside The Twins

Brooks Lee, Brock Stewart join Royce Lewis on injured list to start the season

The Twins are dealing with a barrage of injuries before the season has begun.

Joe Nelson

Mar 11, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (2) bats in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Mar 11, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Brooks Lee (2) bats in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
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Back problems resulted in Brooks Lee missing the first two months of the 2024 season and his 2025 campaign is off to a rocky start with news Sunday that he'll begin the regular season on the injured list due to low back tightness.

Right now, it doesn't appear that the back tightness is something that will linger as long as Lee's 2024 back injury, but he told reporters in Florida that the plan is for him to begin the season on the 10-day injured list.

That likely means Jose Miranda will make the Opening Day roster and starter at third base. He's Option 3 after Royce Lewis (hamstring) and Lee. The Twins could also slide Willi Castro from second base to third base and give Eddy Julien starts at second if they prefer that angle over Miranda at third.

Meanwhile, right-handed reliever Brock Stewart will also miss at least two weeks to start the regular season. The Twins informed him that he'll start the season on the 15-day injured list. The hard-throwing righty threw "about 20 pitches" in a spring training minor league game on Saturday, but he's still working his way back from a hamstring injury.

Stewart was dominant in 2024 before a shoulder ate him up. He wound up getting arthroscopic shoulder surgery last August and is expected to be an important member of Minnesota's bullpen this summer.

The Twins open the season Thursday in St. Louis against the Cardinals.

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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.

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