We already knew they’d be opening the season without Michael Tonkin, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, and now the Twins have confirmed Brock Stewart will also start on the injured list. Stewart suffered a hamstring strain in spring training and is still building up after rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

On the position-player front, Royce Lewis will be joined by Brooks Lee on the IL, delivering a critical blow to the team’s infield depth.

None of these injuries are necessarily expected to be long-term, but all four players were initially expected to make the team. Instead, the Twins will need to proceed without them for at least the first couple of weeks.

Next man up! While the contributions of Lewis, Lee, Stewart and Tonkin won’t necessarily be easy to replace, there will be opportunities for others to emerge from the depth chart and capitalize. Here are some of the players who figure to become important to the team’s plans as a result of these injuries.

Bullpen

Tonkin’s shoulder strain had already more or less locked Louis Varland into a roster spot. Stewart being sidelined frees up another one.

That final opening might have been filled with Rule 5 pick Eiberson Castellano if he made enough of an impression this spring, but the Twins already informed him he won’t be making the team.

Castellano is likely headed back to Philadelphia, barring a trade or a waiver claim by some pitching-hungrier outfit.

So, who will round out an eight-man relief corps, alongside Varland, Griffin Jax, Jhoan Durán, Cole Sands, Danny Coulombe, Justin Topa and Jorge Alcalá?

Right now, the most likely candidate appears to be Scott Blewett, who’s had a good camp after looking good in his limited time with the Twins last year.

Blewett is viewed as a pretty fringy major-league talent, which is why he was available to Minnesota on a minor-league deal for a second straight season, but there are intriguing traits here.

Last year Cody Schoenmann wrote a piece here drawing parallels between Blewett and “the one who got away,” Jeff Hoffman.

I’d love to see Blewett get some run in a lower-leverage role in the majors, which was out of reach for him before Stewart and Tonkin got hurt.

Fellow minor-league signings like Anthony Misiewicz, Huascar Ynoa and Alex Speas also have clearer paths to returning to the big leagues, though all three were reassigned to Triple A already during this camp.

(That doesn’t rule any of them out from making the roster, but I suspect Blewett is ahead in line.) By virtue of being on the 40-man roster, Kody Funderburk is also poised to get another opportunity soon.

Infield and Lineup

If everything went to plan this spring, the Twins might have had Lewis at third base and Lee at second on Opening Day.

Their injuries will push José Miranda into (essentially) full-time duty at the hot corner, with Edouard Julien likely to be the primary starter at second.

The situation represents a pathway to redemption on both fronts. Miranda and Julien entered this camp with much to prove, both at the plate and in the field.

They’ve looked solid this spring, and now they’ll have a chance to parlay that into succeeding when it matters.

If Miranda can tap into his first-half form from 2024 and Julien can rediscover the edge from his rookie season, Minnesota has the potential to get good offensive production at both positions.

Most teams don’t have backup options like these behind their key lineup fixtures. I’m looking forward to what Miranda and Julien can do as regulars in the infield.

The byproduct of those two being pushed into starting infield jobs is that it could open a considerable amount of playing time at designated hitter, where they figured to fill in frequently.

The need for a bat-first option on the bench set the stage for Mickey Gasper to step up and make a bid to emerge as cult hero.

Sadly, Gasper was carted off the field on Sunday after a scary-looking collision. He was diagnosed with a left ankle laceration after being spiked, and got stitches. Hopefully, there’s nothing structurally wrong and he can return soon to jump on this opportunity for big-league at-bats. This is the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

The next man up would appear to be Austin Martin or DaShawn Keirsey. A week or two ago, both were slated to start in Triple A, where neither has a whole lot more to prove.

Can one of these players seize the moment?

I’m also interested to see how the next layers of depth take shape in the wake of these injuries. Losing both Lewis and Lee at third base leaves the Twins pretty thin, with Castro standing as the only readily available backup on the 40-man roster.

Armando Alvarez, who’s been in camp as a non-roster invite, could be next in line if Miranda struggles, or his back or shoulder acts up again.

The 30-year-old Alvarez has only gotten a cup of coffee in the majors (16 games last year with the A’s) but the righty hitter crushed at Triple-A pitching in 2024, slashing .315/.407/.560 in 75 games.

Third base is his primary position, and he can also play second (as well as a bit of corner outfield). All told, he’s a good fit for the team’s needs.

Injuries atop the depth chart might also accelerate the path for some prospects who impressed in spring training. Specifically, I’m thinking about Luke Keaschall, who could take over at second base quickly—especially if Lee is facing a prolonged absence.

Another name to watch is Jeferson Morales. The Twins really like his bat, and he raked this spring.

The lack of a clear defensive fit was one major thing holding Morales back, but if there are a whole bunch of DH starts available, his promising right-handed bat could find its way to the majors much more quickly than anticipated.

Injuries are never the preferred path to opportunity, but they are an inevitable part of a long baseball season. For every setback, there’s a ripple effect that creates a window—sometimes for a forgotten veteran, sometimes for a rising prospect, sometimes for someone in between.

While the losses of Lewis, Lee, Stewart and Tonkin are undeniably tough to swallow, their absences will create proving grounds for others to step in, step up, and potentially make an impact that no one saw coming.

In this sport, surprises are always lurking—and some of the most meaningful stories start with an unexpected chance.