Royce Lewis scheduled to begin rehab assignment, could rejoin Twins this week

Royce Lewis ran the bases at Target Field on Monday afternoon, and he didn’t tip off too many people to the significance until afterward.

Lewis announced that was the last hurdle he needed to clear before beginning a rehab assignment with the Class AAA St. Paul Saints, which is scheduled to start Tuesday.

“I want to get out there as soon as possible, of course, but this is good news,” Lewis said. “Hopefully, it’s a short-lived time out there” on the rehab assignment.

Lewis has been sidelined since July 3 with a right adductor strain. If he doesn’t have any setbacks in his first couple of rehab games, he could rejoin the Twins on Friday for their upcoming road series against the Detroit Tigers.

Adding Lewis would provide a big boost to a shorthanded Twins lineup. Lewis is hitting .292 with 10 homers, five doubles and 18 RBI in 29 games during an injury-plagued season.

“I’m actually really excited,” Lewis said. “I love the opportunity to go out there and prove who I am again.”

Jose Miranda went through a normal pregame routine Monday, fielding grounders and hitting in the batting cage, and he may join Lewis in St. Paul on Tuesday for the start of a rehab assignment. Miranda went on the 10-day injured list on July 14 with a low back strain.

Lewis already sustained two major injuries. The Twins will likely try to mix Lewis at designated hitter a little more often to keep him healthy, especially if they have Miranda, Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien as a part of their infield depth.

“Maybe there’s a few more days where you can manage that a little differently where he doesn’t have the volume he would if he was truly playing third base every single day the rest of the way,” said Derek Falvey, the Twins’ president of baseball operations said. “That can be part of the equation.”

Carlos Correa moved around the Twins clubhouse Monday with a walking boot on his right foot, something he’ll continue to wear for at least a couple of more days as he deals with plantar fasciitis in his right heel.

He underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection, which has added to the soreness, but he’s hopeful it won’t be an extended stay on the 10-day IL.

“Looking back at last year, that was one thing that I would like to take back,” said Correa, who had plantar fasciitis in his left foot last year. “Just take some time off. If I’d gone this route, things would have been better, especially with how early it happened in the year.”

Correa didn’t reveal the target date the training staff mapped out for a potential return because he’s “very optimistic” he can beat it.

“I told [head trainer Nick Paparesta] I felt like I could have played [Sunday], but that’s what happened last year with the other foot,” Correa said. “I was feeling good after a couple days off, then I played four or five games in a row, and then I had to take two days off. Instead of h⋅aving to go through that in the second half and see the performance dip because of it, we decided we would go this route and take a week or whatever it takes.”

⋅ Brock Stewart struck out all three batters he faced in a rehab appearance with St. Paul on Sunday, reaching 97 mph with his fastball. “I’m not sure what the next step is,” Stewart said, “but I think I’m ready to go.”

⋅ Manuel Margot entered Monday with a .289 batting average against lefty pitchers, but he is 0-for-23 this year when used as a pinch hitter. “I’m still going to bet on the guy who is a good righthanded bat to go up there in those spots,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “With as much as he normally puts it into play, you’d expect him to just hit a few singles.”

⋅ Kyle Farmer, who is on the IL with a shoulder strain, remains delayed returning to Minnesota because of flight cancellations.