Royce Lewis says returning from hamstring injury is 'a long progression'

It's been three weeks since Lewis suffered the injury and he's expected to miss at least three more weeks.

Sep 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) fields a ball hit by Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby (not pictured) in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

There's still no timetable for Royce Lewis to return to the Minnesota Twins' lineup, but the 25-year-old appears to be a in a positive headspace as he deals with his latest injury.

“It’s coming along good,” Lewis said Sunday before watching the Twins blow a 7-1 lead and lose 9-7 in ten innings to the Astros. “We’re running. Any time they let me do something, it’s always pretty good.”

Lewis suffered a hamstring strain in Minnesota's mid-March spring training game against the Red Sox. After an MRI, the Twins described the injury as a moderate strain — the type of injury that usually requires 6-8 weeks of recovery.

According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Lewis won't join the Twins for the four-game trip to Kansas City Monday-Thursday, and there's a likelihood that he'll miss at least three more weeks. That would fall in line with a recovery time of 6-8 weeks as it's only been three weeks since he suffered the injury.

For now, Lewis has reached the checkpoint of running on consecutive days. The plan appears to be to continuing ramping him up, slowly but surely.

“Now we’re going to take a break, probably run three days in a row, take a break and then try to get on (the) bases. It’s a long progression," Lewis said. "Running, it’s not just like run two days and then you’re back, as much as I wish it was.”

Lewis, 25, has been sidelined with devastating injuries ever since the Twins drafted him first overall in 2017. Two ACL tears took two seasons from him, and he's also dealt with hamstring, groin and quad strains the past two seasons. is there anything he can do to prevent the injuries?

“I think just play the game, man,” Lewis answered when asked about that on Sunday. “I’ve only made it here because of who I am. I’m not going to change who I am, you know what I mean? If I start changing who I am, then I think as a player, I’ll start diminishing my value, and what I do is very special. I think everyone’s able to see that, and I think that’s why everyone’s so mad that I keep getting hurt. People want to see me out on the field.”

He's not wrong. Lewis is a beast when healthy, although he did endure a brutal slump over the final three months of the season, which began shortly after he said, "I don't do that slump thing."

The Twins have started the season 3-6 for the second year in a row. The good news is that it's early and Lewis is probably coming back barring a setback in his rehab.

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