It seems clear that the Twins trust Lee more defensively than their starters or backup options at second and third. He is also probably the only player outside of Carlos Correa they truly trust to play shortstop. Because of this, I’ve been viewing Lee as essentially a lock to make the team.
There are just so many ways he can fit. The Twins would surely love Lee to win the primary starting second base job, providing them with a sure-handed middle-infield pairing while keeping Willi Castro available to roam freely. After the injury to Royce Lewis, Lee elevated in the mix for playing time at third base, where he’d compete with the defensively questionable Jose Miranda. Circumstances have lined up the switch-hitting Lee to play everyday, and it almost doesn’t matter if he produces, which — for what it’s worth — he has not done in spring training.
On Thursday, Lee was originally written into the Twins’ lineup as starting third baseman against the Red Sox, but he was scratched ahead of game time with (gulp) back stiffness. I don’t want to overreact or delve too far into doomer-ish speculation, but if you’ve followed the young infielder’s career, it’s impossible not to react to this news with concern.
Lee is no stranger to back issues, which is one reason he slid further than expected in the 2022 MLB Draft, when he reached Minnesota at No. 8 overall. Last spring, he was enjoying a very impressive camp with the Twins before being removed from a game on March 21st — one year ago from today exactly — with back spasms. He went on to miss the first two months of the season. There’s no indication that what he’s currently dealing with is as severe as what he faced then, which he later described as “the worst I’ve ever had it.” But then, there was no indication then that it was going to be that serious. Back injuries are very mysterious and difficult for even experts to understand clearly from the outset.
“I saw him when he was coming in this morning, and he was OK,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune after Thursday’s game. “Then he mentioned something to the training staff that something was bothering him. We’re going to treat it in a day-to-day fashion.”
“There is really nothing else to be done because we don’t think this is something more than potentially a muscle spasm,” Baldelli added. “Let it rest and see where he’s at.”
In his many battles with a balky back, Lee has faced some longer absences and also some very short ones. Hopefully this proves to be the latter. But with Opening Day now less than a week away, it’s worth reviewing the contingencies behind Minnesota’s top infield contingency. What would be the ripple effects of Lee, along with Lewis, being unavailable at the start of the season?
Well for one thing, Castro would become the clear top backup (only backup?) at shortstop. Correa figures to get rest and DH days semi-frequently even if healthy, so that’s one demand pulling Castro away from second and third. If Lee isn’t on the roster then you have to believe Edouard Julien is, and perhaps playing more second base than the Twins would prefer. Meanwhile, Miranda would lose basically all competition for playing time at third base, which is exciting for him but risky given his second half last year. The DH spot could open up for someone like Mickey Gasper.
Another corollary effect of losing Lee would be an increased level of pressure on Ty France to prove his strong spring performance is legit, and he’s not as cooked as he looked last season. If he comes out of the gates slow, the Twins will be hard-pressed to move on without Lee or Lewis available.
All of these different angles illustrate why I say Lee is integral to the Twins’ infield depth, even if he’s not the dedicated starter at any single position. Yes, he needs to show more at the plate, but he’s a switch-hitter who can pick it all around the infield and offers plenty of upside with the bat. If the Twins were without Lee, it’d elevate several suspect players into fairly critical roles without much in the way of additional safety nets.
The club will have some things to figure out in the infield if Lee needs to miss time. For now, we’ll await word and wish him a speedy recovery. The team should provide an update this weekend. Back injuries suck!
