He’s tallied extra-base hits in three of his past four games, including his first home run of the season. It’s a welcome sight for a Twins offense that can always use more production.
But if you’ve been watching closely, there’s something else that stands out. Lewis is clearly playing with a new mindset. He’s not going all-out on every play. He’s not diving, sliding, or sprinting unless absolutely necessary. He is protecting his legs, and it’s intentional.
For some fans, that might be a tough pill to swallow. We’ve grown used to players giving 100 percent at all times. That expectation, though, ignores the realities of the game and the toll injuries can take. Lewis is doing what he needs to do to stay on the field, and the Twins are better for it.
Two back-to-back plays in Monday’s game against Cleveland serve as the perfect encapsulation of Lewis’s mindset.
A Calculated Double
Against Jakob Junis Lewis smoked a ball to the gap. A player eager to stretch something extra might have gone for a triple. But Lewis never even hinted at it. He slowed well before second base and coasted in with a stand-up double
Could he have tried for third? Maybe. Would it have increased the Twins’ chances of scoring that inning? Slightly. But the extra strain on his hamstring might have come at a much greater cost. The risk was not worth the reward. Lewis made the safe and smart play, one that keeps him on the field and in the lineup.
Conceding the Double Play
On the very next play, Ty France ripped a liner to third base and Lewis, caught off the bag, was doubled up. He didn’t even attempt a slide to get back. What looked like a routine double play was actually a calculated decision to avoid the kind of sudden movement that could cost him weeks on the injured list.
That decision may confuse fans at first, but it fits with everything he has said and shown. Making a quick change of direction and sprint back to the bag is exactly the kind of explosive movement that re-aggravates hamstrings. Lewis thought it through, realized the odds of beating the throw were slim, and decided not to risk it.
Lewis has been open about his mindset. Before coming off the injured list, he talked about the need to play the game differently going forward.
“Yeah, I think you just need to be smart in general,” Lewis said. “Whenever I play the game going forward, I just gotta play a little bit smarter. And some of these other guys I’ve seen play the game at a high level do, to be able to play 162. If I was Bobby Witt’s speed, I think I’d run a lot, but I’m not there anymore, you know, with all the injuries, so just play smart, man, and let me get in the box, because that’s where I have my most fun.”
That perspective is critical. Players like Lewis are naturally wired to give everything on every play. But when they do that and get hurt, fans criticize them for being injury prone. When they ease up to stay healthy, some of those same fans call them lazy or soft. You can’t have it both ways.
The truth is, the version of Royce Lewis that can fly around the bases and dive into third is exciting. But that version also does not exist if he’s back on the shelf. What matters now is that Lewis is back, healthy, and contributing. He may not be playing at full speed, but he is playing full-time.
And for the Twins, that is a trade worth making every time.
