Royce Lewis and Byron Buxton and their regular routes to the injured list

The Twins are off to a pretty uninspired start in 2025. They've only won three games, and two of them were against the White Sox, which barely counts. The Twins since August 18th of last year have the second worst record in all of baseball. It would be concerning if it wasn't all so typical of the Twins to come out with an awful start to the season. They've been unlucky, as they always are, and their best players are off to a bad start, as they always are. They will shake out of it, and Twins fans will be wary for the rest of he season. Same as it ever is.

I overheard someone complaining about the Twins and their injury concerns, which is valid, of course, and lamenting that oft injured Royce Lewis is just another reiteration of Byron Buxton, another oft injured Twin. The two couldn't really be further apart, however, and I can tell you that Lewis is far more concerning than Buxton, even in his 30s and knowing what I know about his history. 

In their own ways, Buxton and Lewis evoke the old school and new school ethos in both their positives and their potential pitfalls. Buxton is a pure athlete and lays it all out on the field. It's what so many long time fans, and even new ones desire to see. Visible, tangible effort. Lewis is strong. His natural athleticism has been augmented by time in the gym and his development of raw power that was evident in his first ride in the postseason, and seems to crop up most evidently when bases are loaded. 

Of course, the flip side of this has come up far too often. Buxton's aggression has led to him into walls and awkward dives, which has led to broken bones, deep bruises and swelling. Lewis, alternatively, has seen his muscle development lead directly to pulled muscles and strains. Of course, he has had some catastrophic knee injuries, but those haven't been the issue as he's reached the Majors. It's been hamstrings and lat strains and generally things that I don't have to deal with because I don't have muscles. 

Buxton isn't inherently prone to injury because of his bodily structure, and there is a chance that he could remain healthy with good circumstances and a more calibrated approach in the field. He keeps getting hurt because he's playing as hard as we all want our athletes to play, and also because Minnesota is cursed. 

Lewis is like modern day pitchers. We've developed pitching techniques, strength building and performance to a level that is beyond what ligaments can sustain. Pitchers are stronger and throwing harder, and it is tearing apart UCLs across all levels of baseball. Royce Lewis is a product of the evolution of baseball and professional athleticism. He works hard, has developed a size and strength that unfortunately, tests his muscles and tendons every time he exerts himself. 

We can see Buxton plow into the center field fence and know problems have arisen. Lewis has a tendency to pull up after rounding a base because something has grabbed or feels uncomfortable. This is much harder to plan around or feel good about long term. Buxton, on the other hand, may prove to be less injury prone as he grows older. 

Whatever the case, the Twins need them (and Carlos Correa) to stay on the field if they want to be successful. Oh, and they need to actually produce when they are on the field. That would be nice as well.