No. 1 prospect Lewis promoted to Fort Myers
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Shortstop Royce Lewis, ranked as the Twins' top prospect and the No. 11 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline was promoted from Class A Cedar Rapids to Class A Advanced Fort Myers.
Lewis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, was told of the promotion by manager Toby Gardenhire late Friday night and the move became official on Saturday. Lewis, a Midwest League All-Star, had an impressive showing with Cedar Rapids, hitting .315/.368/.485 with nine homers, 23 doubles and 53 RBIs in 75 games.
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The 19-year-old has shown improved power at the plate and better defense at short this season. In his first full season as a professional last year, Lewis hit a combined .279/.381/.407 with four homers, eight doubles and three triples in 54 games between the Gulf Coast League Twins and Cedar Rapids.
Lewis has hit .301/.373/.453 with 13 homers, 31 doubles, three triples and 80 RBIs in 129 career games in the Minors. The Twins still believe he can stick at shortstop, but there's an outside chance he could move to center field down the road.
Lewis joins a roster in Fort Myers that includes several fellow Twins prospects such as outfielder Alex Kirilloff (Twins No. 3 prospect), right-hander Brusdar Graterol (No. 6), first baseman Lewin Diaz (No. 9) and third baseman Travis Blankenhorn (No. 13). Twins third baseman Miguel Sanó also remains at Fort Myers to work on his conditioning and play with the Miracle.
Worth noting
• The Twins have yet to announce a starter for Sunday's game, as they could utilize it as a bullpen game heading into the All-Star break. Right-hander Aaron Slegers also remains a candidate to start.
• Either Lance Lynn or Kyle Gibson will start the first game coming out of the break against the Royals on Friday. They'll be the first two pitchers in the rotation after the break and they'll see how Ervin Santana does in his rehab assignment on Sunday before slotting him back into the rotation. José Berríos' status could also be affected if he pitches in Tuesday's All-Star Game. If he does see action, he's likely to be pushed to the back of the rotation to get a break.
• Reliever Addison Reed (tight right triceps) is eligible to return from the 10-day disabled list on July 21, but he could see his return pushed back a bit to throw a few bullpen sessions before returning. He's been resting his arm and will need to build it back up before he's activated. But designated hitter Logan Morrison (left hip impingement), who is eligible to return on July 22, is expected to be back the first day he's eligible.