Lewis felt a 'pop' in his knee but could play immediately if needed

TORONTO -- The Twins got encouraging news on Royce Lewis, but they’ll still be without one of their most important bats for the near future.

Lewis was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a left knee sprain after waking up feeling sore Friday. The 25-year-old said he caught his cleat during a swing in his final at-bat of the Twins’ 3-1 win over the Tigers Thursday.

“I heard this pop, and it didn’t feel great,” Lewis said in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre Saturday.

As Lewis recalled, he felt fine right after the play, even racing out of the box and sprinting from first to third. But once the adrenaline wore off, the pain intensified. An MRI Friday revealed the knee sprain.

Lewis, with a big smile on his face, said he felt great and could play Saturday if his team really needed him. But, at the same time, he acknowledged the need for proper rest to ensure he’s back once his IL stint expires on April 20.

“Long term, it's not worth the risk to force anything that we don't need to,” said Lewis.

Lewis’ mature approach pleased manager Derek Shelton, who knows how important his third baseman is to the club this season.

“It’s very important because sometimes players want to grind through it,” Shelton said. “And with us having the two off days coming up, it helps us in terms of getting him back sooner than later.”

Even with off days on April 16 and April 20, the Twins could still be in a pinch, roster-wise. Lewis is down, righty reliever Cody Laweryson is on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain, and Simeon Woods Richardson is still recovering from a recent bout with food poisoning.

Minnesota called up reinforcements Saturday, adding utility man Ryan Kreidler to the roster and right-hander Andrew Morris, the club’s 13th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline.

While it’s no easy task to fill Lewis’ void in the lineup, Shelton expects Kreidler and Tristan Gray to take reps in place of the club’s injured third baseman. Adding Kreidler to the roster also allows the Twins to grant needed rest days to infielders Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall.

As for Morris, he’ll add some flexibility -- and upside -- to a bullpen that’s worked 30 ⅓ innings in the last week, the fifth-most in the American League during that span.

“He's a guy that we think is versatile,” Shelton said of Morris. “We do think he's a Major League starter, but we also feel that he has the ability to pitch out of the bullpen.”