Minnesota Twins star Royce Lewis was placed on the injured list Wednesday with a right adductor strain, less than 24 hours after departing Tuesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers after experiencing tightness in his left groin. The injury occurred during the sixth inning, as Lewis clobbered a two-run double. He was visibly running at half-speed, at best, because of the injury’s immediate impact on his movement.
After the game, Lewis confirmed that he was headed for imaging to assess the severity of his injury. Team executive Derek Falvey told reporters Thursday that Lewis will be out at least through the All-Star break.
Lewis, 25, is perhaps the most snakebitten player in the sport. He’s been a superstar-caliber performer throughout his career, yet injuries have deprived him of appearing in even 100 big-league games since being drafted first overall in 2017. To wit, in 24 games this year, he’s hit .292/.354/.685 with 10 home runs and five additional extra-base hits.
Lewis missed two months earlier this season with a partially torn quadriceps he suffered on Opening Day. In the past, he’s also experienced a pair of torn ACLs in the same leg.
To take his roster spot, Minnesota called up top prospect Brooks Lee for his MLB debut.
The Twins enter Wednesday with a 48-37 record on the season, putting them in second place in the American League Central. The Twins trail the surprising Cleveland Guardians by six games, though they do currently hold the second American League wild-card spot. Minnesota has a two-game edge over the Kansas City Royals and a 2 1/2 game advantage over the Boston Red Sox.
