Lewis day to day after exiting with with hamstring tightness

CINCINNATI -- It looked as though Royce Lewis was doing everything in his power to stay in the game -- but athletic trainer Masa Abe and acting manager Jayce Tingler sadly shook their heads at him and ushered him to the dugout.

Even as the Twins reduced their magic number to four behind the game of Willi Castro’s life and a difference-making start from Kenta Maeda in a 7-0 victory over the Reds on Tuesday night, it was overshadowed by Lewis’ exit with left hamstring tightness after he had quickly made himself one of the most indispensable players on the roster -- and his availability for the postseason could matter above all else.

• Games remaining: at CIN (1), vs. LAA (3), vs. OAK (3), at COL (3)
• Standings update: The Twins (80-72) hold an eight-game lead on the Guardians (72-80) for the American League Central title. Cleveland clinched the tiebreaker by winning the season series, 7-6. Minnesota is currently the third-best division winner, meaning it would host a best-of-three Wild Card Series vs. the final Wild Card entrant starting on Oct. 3.
• Magic number: 3 (for AL Central)

The club initially announced that Lewis is day to day with hamstring tightness, and for now, the Twins can only wait -- and hope.

“You’re hoping for the best, but I think with these hamstrings and soft tissue, you don’t really know,” Tingler said. “You don’t really know until the next couple of days and see how he responds. I don’t want to speculate or anything like that. It would just be a guess at this point.”

Lewis, who was not available to the media after the game, appeared to feel pain in the hamstring after fouling off a 2-1 offering during his eighth-inning plate appearance. In his previous at-bat, he had appeared to tweak his leg while trying to beat out a double-play grounder to end the sixth inning, but Lewis walked directly to his defensive position at third base to stay in the game.

Tingler said that Lewis had already been playing through some issues, including a bruised heel, which was part of why that play didn’t initially cause more concern.

“We didn’t think much of it, and he didn’t say anything until that foul ball down the right-field line,” Tingler said.

But after Lewis' problematic swing in the eighth, the Twins appeared to be taking no chances with the condition of the 2017 No. 1 overall pick, who gripped his bat and helmet in obvious frustration as he walked back to the dugout.

“Of course he wanted to stay in the game,” Tingler said. “Love that. Love the competitiveness. We've got to make a decision [in the moment], and it wasn't clearing up.”

Lewis had been having the time of his life after finally having recovered from two torn ACLs and an oblique injury to emerge as the heartbeat of the Twins’ new-look offense, hitting .309/.372/.548 with 15 homers in 58 games, including four grand slams in a 20-game span to set a new franchise record for grand slams in a season.

The rookie also has all the makings of a playoff X-factor, due both to his role as the emotional focal point of the team and for his penchant for stepping up in key moments, hitting .380/.443/.789 (1.232 OPS) in his career with runners in scoring position.

Though the Twins have five players on rehab assignments with Triple-A St. Paul, they’re also dealing with injury questions to several key players -- now including Lewis.

Carlos Correa was out of the lineup on Tuesday following an MRI on his left foot to give the Twins a better idea of the aggravation of his plantar fasciitis, while Byron Buxton still had not resumed game action following a setback in his troublesome right knee sustained in a rehab game on Sept. 1.

The Twins can manage for the rest of the season if Lewis needs time off his feet. Jorge Polanco has been playing some third base, which leaves room for Edouard Julien to start at second base -- and Castro and Donovan Solano can fill in capably at both positions, too.

The divisional race is all but over, too, meaning that the Twins can focus fully on getting Lewis, Correa and their other key players healthy for the games that matter in October.

But once those games come, the Twins need Lewis in their lineup -- and all eyes will be on his recovery in the coming days.

“Obviously, he's one of the best hitters on the team,” Castro said. “Stuff like that's going to happen. You've just got to be prepared. Hopefully we have him back soon.”