The Minnesota Twins demoted former No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints on Tuesday. It marks the first time Lewis will play in the minor leagues on something other than an injury rehab assignment since May 2022.
The move comes less than a week after the Twins also demoted outfielder Matt Wallner, another struggling player expected to be part of the team's offensive core this year and moving forward.
Struggling at the Plate
Lewis, who turns 27 next month, is hitting .163/.261/.279 this season while striking out in 31.1% of his plate appearances—easily a career high. He started the year well enough, posting an .822 OPS with a 26.7% strikeout rate in 12 games before being sidelined by a knee issue.
Since returning from the injured list, Lewis has posted just a .380 OPS with a 33.8% strikeout rate in 19 games.
"If there was apathy or lack of work, that would be frustrating or concerning to me," Twins manager Derek Shelton said about Lewis on Monday via the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "There is not in his case. He's focusing on it. He's not in the spot that he wants to be right now, but there is work going into it."
Career Trajectory
Lewis looked like a budding superstar in 2023, when he hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 home runs in only 58 games after returning from his second right ACL tear. He then hit four more homers in Minnesota's six-game postseason run that October.
However, Lewis has since dealt with more injuries and his OPS has declined significantly: from .921 in 2023 to .747 in 2024 to .671 in 2025 to now .539 in 2026. He has been one of the worst hitters in baseball over the last two years.
It should be noted the Twins are not playing service time games with this demotion. Even if Lewis spends the rest of the year in the minors, he would remain on track to become a free agent after the 2028 season.
Contract Implications
Lewis will make $2.85 million this year and, even with the injuries and poor performance, his salary could jump into the $5 million range through arbitration next year. At that point, he could become a non-tender candidate.
If the budget-conscious Twins don't think he's salvageable, they may non-tender him and make him a free agent. Certainly, they hope to avoid that outcome.
Team Outlook
Minnesota enters play Tuesday with a 22-26 record and a minus-3 run differential. The Twins started 11-7, went 5-16 in their next 21 games, and are now 6-3 in their last nine games.