SACRAMENTO — Royce Lewis would like to clarify: He does slump — and he’s currently in the midst of a long one.
It was nearly a year ago when Lewis said, “I don’t do that slump thing. That’s not a real thing for me.”
That, Lewis has said multiple times since then, was not quite what he meant.
“What I was trying to say mentally was I don’t go into, ‘I’m 0-for-20 whatever.’ I go into today thinking it’s (Athletics starter) Luis Severino. I’ve faced him in the past. I feel good. I know his sinker and his four-seam,’ and that’s my mindset. That’s what I was trying to say.” Lewis said.
“So “I’ll say it: I slump. A lot of people slump. Everyone slumps. Hopefully I play long enough I slump 100 more times. That’s my goal,” Lewis said. :I’m very excited to keep pushing through and having another opportunity.”
Lewis was not in the starting lineup on Monday for the second time in three days. Sunday, he hit ninth and was pinch hit for late in the game for after going 0 for 2, running his skid to 0 for 30. That comes on the heels of an 0-for-36 stretch — which dated back to last season — that Lewis endured at the beginning of May, when he returned from the injured list.
Lewis entered the day hitting .127 with a .392 OPS on the season with just one home run — though he just missed two — and three runs driven in 21 games. He missed the first 35 games recovering from a hamstring strain suffered during spring training.
Now he’s fully healthy, and the focus is on “trying to get back to comfy Royce,” as he works through some mechanical tweaks.
“He was in (the batting cage) hitting some challenging shapes and some good stuff to make sure he’s staying on the ball as much as he can,” hitting coach Matt Borgschulte said. “Staying grounded in his legs. Getting back to the step where he’s kind of in rhythm with it. I’m excited to see how things progress. … With a guy with that much talent, it’s just a matter of time before things start going his way.”
Lewis, as always, projected positivity as he talked about working through the toughest stretch of his career, pointing to stars like Aaron Judge and Mike Trout, who have also endured tough times in their careers.
With so many different voices trying to lend advice or a helping word, Lewis has been leaning on his “circle of trust” — a hitter’s, a family circle, a friend circle — as he tries to figure things out at the plate.
“He’s working hard to focus on the things that he needs to focus on and that’s, as a manager, what you can ask a player to do,” manager Rocco Baldelli said. “I think he’s doing that, and he’s preparing in the best way he can to get ready for the game today and not think about some of his performances. … When you’re dealing with struggles, looking at them straight on is a good thing.”
Briefly
Top prospect Walker Jenkins (ankle) was supposed to play in a rehab game Monday in the Florida Complex League, but it was rained out, general manager Jeremy Zoll said. He’s now scheduled to play in a rehab game on Tuesday. … Outfielder Emmanuel Rodríguez landed on the Triple-A injured list with a strain in his right hip. Zoll said they expect him to be out two to four weeks. “Obviously a bummer, but seems like it’s on the relatively minor side and hopefully get him back and running here soon enough,” he said. … Longtime former manager Dusty Baker visited the Twins’ clubhouse on Monday before the game.
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