Royce Lewis Out on Saturday With Sore Hamstring

Jul 18, 2026, 12:14 PM ET

Minnesota Twins corner infielder Royce Lewis (hamstring) is out of Saturday's starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs with soreness in his left hamstring, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Manager Derek Shelton said Lewis reported to the field on Saturday feeling better, but the Twins will be cautious and hold the oft-injured slugger out. Josh Bell will start at first base and bat third, while catcher Ryan Jeffers will serve as the designated hitter and bat second against Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd. We'll consider Lewis day-to-day for now, but given his lengthy injury history, this could easily turn into an injured-list situation before long. The 27-year-old former first overall pick in 2017 got off to a rough start to 2026 before being sent to the minors to work on his approach at the plate. Since returning on June 6, Lewis has been better, slashing .258/.319/.484 with an .804 OPS, seven home runs, eight doubles, 16 RBI, 19 runs, three steals, 12 walks, and 33 K's in 33 games played to raise his season line to .216/.292/.392 with a .685 OPS. Strikeouts and swing-and-miss are always going to be part of the package with Lewis, but the streaky hitter can definitely still be a power asset for fantasy managers lacking in the department. Check back on Sunday to see if Lewis is ready for the series finale.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Dan Hayes