At long last, a big time bat is returning to the Minnesota Twins lineup.
Infielder Royce Lewis is back from his rehab assignment and has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. He missed the team's last 58 games with a right quad strain that he suffered in the season opener in Kansas City.
Lewis replaces infielder Edouard Julien who was optioned to Triple-A Saint Paul after Sunday's game. It's expected Lewis will be in the starting lineup Tuesday night.
His return comes just in time, as the Twins are in New York to take on the Yankees. New York won three straight over the Twins in Minnesota in May.
Lewis played in six games on a rehab assignment with Triple-A St. Paul, going 4 for 23 with a double, a walk and eight strikeouts.
Lewis will enter the three-game series in New York against the Yankees with a perfect 1.000 batting average, having homered and singled in his first two at-bats of the season before getting hurt running the bases on March 28 at Kansas City.
The first overall pick in the 2017 draft has been limited to 71 games with the Twins. He tore the ACL in his right knee while working out before the 2021 season and suffered the same injury in 2022 just 12 games into his major league career on a collision with the outfield wall while tracking a fly ball.
Last season, Lewis hit .309 with 15 home runs and 52 RBIs in just 58 games including five grand slams. He hit four homers in six postseason games for the AL Central champion Twins in 2023.
PREVIEW
Minnesota Twins (33-26, third in the AL Central) vs. New York Yankees (42-19, first in the AL East)
New York; Tuesday, 6:05 p.m. Pregame 5:30 on WCCO Radio and the Audacy app (in-market restrictions apply).
PITCHING PROBABLES: Twins: Bailey Ober (5-3, 4.89 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 58 strikeouts); Yankees: Luis Gil (7-1, 1.99 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 79 strikeouts).
Wednesday: Paddack (Twins) vs. Rodón (Yankees)
Thursday: Lopez (Twins) vs. Stroman (Yankees)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Yankees -169, Twins +142; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Yankees host the Minnesota Twins to start a three-game series.
New York has an 18-8 record at home and a 42-19 record overall. The Yankees are 20-4 in games when they hit at least two home runs.
Minnesota has gone 17-13 on the road and 33-26 overall. The Twins have an 11-4 record in games decided by one run.
The teams meet Tuesday for the fourth time this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Volpe has 10 doubles, five triples and six home runs for the Yankees. Aaron Judge is 14-for-36 with two doubles and seven home runs over the last 10 games.
Ryan Jeffers leads Minnesota with 12 home runs while slugging .525. Trevor Larnach is 6-for-27 with three home runs and six RBI over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Yankees: 8-2, .261 batting average, 2.05 ERA, outscored opponents by 28 runs
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole to begin rehab assignment Tuesday at Double-A
Twins: 7-3, .226 batting average, 3.64 ERA, outscored opponents by one run
INJURIES: Yankees: Clarke Schmidt: 15-Day IL (lat), Jon Berti: 10-Day IL (calf), Nick Burdi: 15-Day IL (hip), Jonathan Loaisiga: 60-Day IL (elbow), JT Brubaker: 60-Day IL (elbow), Gerrit Cole: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lou Trivino: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jasson Dominguez: 60-Day IL (elbow), Scott Effross: 60-Day IL (back)
Twins: Justin Topa: 60-Day IL (knee), Brock Stewart: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Daniel Duarte: 60-Day IL (tricep), Zack Weiss: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Royce Lewis: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Anthony DeSclafani: 60-Day IL (elbow)
The Associated Press contributed to this story.