Royce Lewis returns to Twins after missing 16 games because of injury

DETROIT – Royce Lewis has plans, big plans.

“I’m going to win a Gold Glove one day. Hands down, it’s going to happen,” he said Friday. “It’s just a matter of where. I still think it could happen at shortstop, third base, second base.”

He sounds determined, and given his accomplishments in the mere 94 games he has played since joining the Twins in 2022, who could doubt him? But Lewis’ declaration sounded a bit odd coming just 10 minutes after manager Rocco Baldelli reiterated his intention to give the 25-year-old infielder regular work as the designated hitter in hopes of keeping him healthy.

“Anyone that deals with muscle injuries, muscle fatigue is at least part of the conversation,” Baldelli said. “So to be able to limit some of that workload — we want him to stay strong, we want him to be able to post every day. And the best way to do that is at DH.”

Lewis returned to the Twins lineup Friday, batting cleanup and playing third base, after missing 16 games since suffering a strained right adductor muscle while running the bases July 2 vs. the Tigers. He might play every day this weekend but probably not always in the field.

“I would prefer for him to just work on his skills [and] prepare each day as if he’s going to be playing third base. And there will be some days where he gets tapped on the shoulder and told, ‘You’re at DH,’ ” Baldelli said. “There are some young guys who I don’t like DHing, or I’m not really confident that they enjoy it or even do it well. He’s not one of those guys. He can do it.”

The Twins went 8-8 without Lewis, and Baldelli is hoping that performance improves with Lewis in the lineup.

“We’re getting to add one of the better hitters in the league, and that’s going to make our team better,” Baldelli said. “We’re adding a dynamic player back into the mix. The lineup looks a heck of a lot better when you get a chance to pencil him in there.”

Lewis was grateful the Twins activated him — they sent catcher Jair Camargo back to the Class AAA Saints — after playing just two rehab games in St. Paul, going 1-for-6.

“The hardest part about the rehab process is waiting,” Lewis said. “I’m glad, honestly, that it happened faster than normal. Normally, we’re waiting like a month once I say I’m ready. I’m happy this time we’re ready to go back as soon as possible.”

Manuel Margot has hit lefthanded pitching unmercifully this season, posting a .354 average and a whopping .519 slugging percentage (plus three homers) against them coming into Friday.

Well, as long as he is already in the lineup.

When he faces them on short notice as a pinch hitter? It’s 0-for-17 with four walks, including Friday’s seventh-inning pop-up against Joey Wentz, part of his bizarre 30 plate appearances this season without a hit as a pinch hitter.

“Why do you remind me of that?” Margot said with a laugh.

But he doesn’t understand it, either, though he’s confident his luck will change.

“Of course it’s difficult,” Margot said. “Eventually the hit is going to come and then they’re going to give me a little bit more trust and confidence.”

If it doesn’t happen, he could set a major league record for most pinch-hit appearances in a season without a hit. That currently belongs to Jonny Gomes, who had 34 hitless pinch-hit plate appearances for the Reds and Nationals in 2011.

Margot currently has 30 such chances (he’s 0-for-26 plus those walks), which lead the majors, with Detroit’s Andy Ibáñez second with 25.

• Friday’s game included an unusual incident that didn’t involve the players: As the Tigers prepared to bat in the eighth inning, two children, perhaps 7-12 years old, jumped onto the field. Security guards chased them across the outfield and finally apprehended them near the left-field corner, handcuffing them before escorting them off the field.

• Infielder Jose Miranda also rejoined the team after a two-game rehab stint — he went 3-for-6 with the Saints — though he won’t be activated until Saturday.

• Infielder Diego Castillo, designated for assignment Wednesday in order to restore righthander Brock Stewart from the injured list, cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment back to St. Paul.

• Adam Plutko gave up one hit while striking out eight in six innings and the host Saints beat Omaha 6-1. Patrick Winkel and Dalton Shuffield each homered and drove in three runs.