Twins Option Former No. 1 Overall Pick to Minors
Following a deep slump at the plate, Minnesota Twins starting third baseman Royce Lewis is headed for a minor league reset.
On Tuesday morning, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported that the Twins optioned the former No. 1 overall pick to Triple-A St. Paul. It is Lewis' first time being optioned since 2022. In a corresponding move, Minnesota selected the contract of veteran infielder Orlando Arcia to the big league roster.
Royce Lewis is headed to Triple-A St. Paul. #MNTwins are purchasing the contract of Orlando Arcia, according to a source.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) May 19, 2026
This will be one of several moves for the Twins today as they're out of 40-man spots and need to make room for Arcia.
Lewis, 26, carried an .822 OPS through his first 12 games before suffering a right knee sprain April 9. He spent less than two weeks on the injured list but has struggled since his return.
In his last 74 plate appearances, Lewis has produced a .380 OPS with 25 strikeouts. The right-handed slugger is batting .163/.261/.279 over 31 games this season with three home runs, 13 RBIs and a career-worst 31.1% strikeout rate.
Injuries have taken a toll on Lewis, who began his career with a .307/.364/.549 slash line and 17 home runs through his first 70 MLB games. Since 2021, he has suffered two ACL tears in his right knee, three strains or partial tears of his left hamstring and a right quad strain. He played only 58 games in 2023, 82 in 2024 and 102 in 2025.
Oh, Royce Lewis can most definitely hurt you when the bases are loaded. pic.twitter.com/3n7OH5glap
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) September 16, 2023
Lewis is not the only member of Minnesota's Opening Day lineup to be sent down in the past week. Last Thursday, the Twins made a similar decision with right fielder Matt Wallner, who was optioned after batting .167/.259/.292 with 53 strikeouts in 135 plate appearances. The fifth-year veteran performed better last season, posting a .776 OPS over 104 big league games.
While Lewis aims to get back on track in the minors, the Twins' third base job figures to be handled by a combination of Arcia and utilityman Ryan Kreidler. The 31-year-old Arcia is a career .239/.292/.369 hitter in the big leagues but has been on a tear for St. Paul this season, posting a .932 OPS with eight home runs, 10 doubles and one triple in 39 games.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 1:18 PM.