On Opening Day of the 2024 MLB season, Royce Lewis homered in his first at bat, then hit a single his next time at the plate. However, Lewis strained his right quad and subsequently missed two months on the IL. With this in mind, ever since the end of March, the 25-year-old third baseman had the bragging rights of having a perfect 1.000 batting average.
In his first game back from injury Tuesday (5-1 loss vs. Yankees), Lewis walked during his first two plate appearances and then remarkably hit another home run. This means that through two games this season, he is currently 3-for-3 with a pair of homers.
Royce Lewis' season OBP: Still 1.000.
Royce Lewis return from injury game buff: Still as active as ever. pic.twitter.com/64m7qeqbSp
— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) June 5, 2024
This is nothing new for Lewis, who despite being hit with the injury bug to start his career, has performed outstandingly well when on the field; and in particular in his first games back from the injured list, he always seems to 'go yard.'
After suffering a torn ACL amid his rookie 2022 season, Lewis returned for his 2023 season debut on May 29 (7-5 win vs. Astros), and hit a home run to go with four RBIs in his first game back.
Furthermore, during Game 1 of the 2023 AL Wild Card Series Lewis was coming back from a hamstring injury that caused him to miss the end of the regular season, thereupon he hit two home runs to help lift the Twins to a 3-1 victory vs. the Blue Jays.
The Aliso Viejo, California prospect was drafted first overall in the 2017 MLB draft, and since making his debut in 2022, Lewis has already set some MLB records. A week after playing in the majors, Lewis hit a grand slam, becoming the second player (Danny Valencia) in Twins' history to have their first career homer be one that came with the bases loaded. Then in his next year, even after missing two-thirds of the season due to injury, Lewis set a franchise record for most grand slams in one season (5).
Notably, Lewis has appeared in 72 games and put up impressive numbers since starting his big league career, including a .315 batting average, hitting 19 home runs, 59 RBI's, and 43 runs scored.
Lewis will attempt to keep his perfect batting average alive, as he will play in his third game this season, with the Twins set to face-off with New York in Yankees Stadium at 7:05 pm ET on June 5, which just so happens to also be his birthday.
