MINNEAPOLIS -- Royce Lewis has been through all of this before, so he already has built-in benchmarks to serve as a measuring stick in his second ACL surgery rehab in as many years. That's how he knows he's already ahead of schedule.

A grinning Lewis was back in the home clubhouse at Target Field on Tuesday, thrilled to be back with the Twins to rehab in Minneapolis until the All-Star break. He had been officially cleared to walk for the first time on Tuesday, only three weeks after his June 21 procedure to repair the re-torn ACL in his right knee, sustained during a May 29 catch in the outfield.

Last year, it took five and a half weeks for Lewis to start walking, he said. With that in mind, the Twins' No. 1 prospect is hoping to shorten the original expectation of a 12-month timeline for his return to play.

"I know that's not happening," Lewis said. "It's going to be earlier, just from me knowing who I am and how competitive I am and how much I want to be out on the field and be with my teammates and knowing exactly when Spring Training is.

"I think my plan is to be like 10 months -- 10 to 11 months -- which still gives enough time."

There is precedent for that kind of relatively quick return from an ACL tear, as Lewis pointed out. Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL last July 10 while attempting a similar catch in the outfield, underwent surgery on July 21, and was back on a big league baseball field in an Atlanta uniform on April 21, 2022, exactly nine months after his procedure.

It's still early in Lewis' recovery, but he's already acknowledging that he and his medical team are taking that sort of "more aggressive approach" to his timeline in response to how his body has responded well in the immediate aftermath of the surgery.

"I like the aggressive approach, because we can always dial back if we need to, if I'm not ready for something or something like that," Lewis said. "But if we are ready, which I usually feel like I am, then we get going. So I like it."

This procedure wasn't exactly the same as Lewis' first surgery last March; this time, Dr. Steven Singleton stabilized the knee with an iliotibial (IT) band, which limits the amount of lateral "give" that Lewis' knee can experience. Lewis said the presence of the IT band resulted in a bit more initial pain and tightness in the area that has since subsided.

While with the Twins, Lewis said he'll undergo several hours of rehab every day, with the chance to join his teammates in the dugout for a few innings of each game. That's all he wants -- the chance to continue learning from his teammates and coaches through those in-game conversations and meetings. He's also excited to keep building his upper half strength.

"It's kind of fun," Lewis said. "I get to just get jacked now."

A 10-month timeline would get Lewis to April 21, 2023. An 11-month timeline would get him back a month later. Neither scenario results in Opening Day, but Lewis hopes for now that he'll be back early in the 2023 season.

"That's my goal," Lewis said. "Wherever that be, I'm just excited to play. I'll play down in Fort Myers in High-A playing, I don't care. I just want to play. I felt so good at the plate. I felt really good on defense, everywhere, I've played everywhere. It doesn't matter where, I just want to be playing."