Twins' Royce Lewis Lands on Injured List; Byron Buxton Faces Elbow Setback

The Minnesota Twins announced Saturday that third baseman Royce Lewis has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain.

In a separate incident during the same game against the Astros, center fielder Byron Buxton exited in the seventh inning after sustaining a bruised left elbow from a pitch that struck him an inning earlier.

Lewis sustained his injury while sprinting to first base on a single during the ninth inning of Friday's 10-3 defeat to Houston. Following the game, he underwent an MRI.

Manager Rocco Baldelli characterized the injury as a mild strain. "It's not a severe strain, but it is a strain that's going to keep him off the field for a little bit," Baldelli stated. "Definitely disappointing, but these are things that we deal with."

While Lewis did not receive a specific recovery timeline from doctors, he expressed optimism about his condition, noting he felt better on Saturday and hoped for a quick return.

This latest setback follows a previous absence of 35 games this season due to a moderate strain of the same hamstring, which he initially injured while running out a ground ball during spring training.

Drafted first overall in 2017, Lewis has faced numerous injuries throughout his career. Last season, he played only 82 games due to a severe quadriceps strain and a groin injury, which followed ACL tears in his right knee in both 2021 and 2022.

After hitting a home run on Friday night, Lewis's batting average stands at .202 with two home runs and nine RBIs across 30 games this season.

When asked about the timing of his injury, Lewis reflected on his frustrations: "I think it's frustrating in general. I'm tired of being the one that's getting bullied and picked on by this game."

Buxton's injury occurred when Houston starter Hunter Brown hit him on the left elbow at the start of the sixth inning. Although he was evaluated by a trainer, Buxton continued playing until he was replaced by Harrison Bader in center field during the bottom of the seventh.

Baldelli indicated that Buxton's status is day-to-day. "It caught him very, very square, and it's gonna hurt," he said. "He feels it and he's having trouble moving it too much. We're not worried long term, but right now he's hurting."