Rolls Royce
Royce Lewis (MIN): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB.
Royce Lewis (MIN): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB.
It’s been quite a road for Royce Lewis to get back to good health after his multiple injuries over the last couple of seasons. In 2021, Lewis tore his ACL getting ready for the season and was forced to miss the entire 2021 campaign.
He debuted in 2022 and looked like a stud from the very beginning, hitting a grand slam in his first game. The hype lasted just 12 games though as he repeated his previous injury, tearing the ACL in his right knee for a second time.
He made his way back to the Twins’ lineup in late May of 2023 and played through June to the beginning of July before heading back to the IL. On August 15, Lewis finally got back to good health and has been a mainstay in the lineup ever since.
Lewis finished Sunday with three hits, including a three-run home run and a stolen base but it wasn’t enough for the Twins as they fell to the Rangers, 6-5, on Sunday afternoon. Lewis started the day 0-for-2, but in the fifth inning swatted a 2-1 slider the opposite way just over the fence to tie the game, 3-3. Lewis added a leadoff single in the seventh and an RBI single in the eighth inning, swiping second on the back end of a double-steal as well.
In the month of August, Lewis’ barrel rate has been 10.0% (league average is less than 7.0%), and has seven home runs across his last 11 games.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Mitch Garver (TEX): 4-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Garver went a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with two bombs as the Rangers topped the Twins, 6-5, in extra innings on Sunday. He hammered a three-run blast off of a slider in his first at-bat, led off the third with a single, and added another hit in the fifth inning. In the seventh inning, Garver crushed a 1-1 cutter into the centerfield seats.
Though his playing time behind the plate has diminished since Jonah Heim’s return from injury, Garver is still viable in two-catcher leagues as he continues to dominate the Rangers’ DH at-bats.
Mike Tauchman (CHC): 4-6, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB.
Tauchman was just a tad short of the headliner after he was the “Tauch of the Town,” on Sunday afternoon as the Cubs scored 15 runs to beat the Reds. Tauchman posted singles in each of his first two at-bats and then added an RBI single in the eighth and a double in the ninth as the Cubs piled on to their lead late in the game.
Tauchman has found a home at the top of the Cubs’ lineup, playing center nearly every day. He should continue to be productive as the team makes a run for the NL Central.
Tyler Stephenson (CIN): 3-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Stephenson was perfect from the plate and smacked a home run but it wasn’t enough to help the Reds. Stephenson smashed a two-run home run in his first at-bat, singled in the fourth, and added an RBI single in the fifth. Stephenson has neared a 50-50 split behind the plate with Luke Maile and is barely hanging on as a relevant bat in most fantasy leagues.
Mark Canha (MIL): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB, SB.
Canha finished Sunday afternoon with a combo meal, smoking a home run and swiping a bag as the Brewers fell to the Phillies. With Christian Yelich getting the day off, Canha moved into the leadoff spot and cashed in with a home run to right-center in the third inning. He added a walk and a stolen base later in the game as the Brewers scraped for runs.
Canha’s leadoff cameo appearance is likely just that, with Yelich probable to reclaim leadoff duties as soon as he’s back.
Hunter Goodman (COL): 2-2, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB, SB.
Goodman finished with a pair of doubles and three RBI for the Rockies as the squad fell to the visiting Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon. Goodman has begun his career with an 8-for-21 hot streak at the plate, but with six of his first seven games coming in the friendly confines of Coors Field, managers will speculate about the legitimacy of the hot start.
With a barrel rate of 16.7% (well above league average), Goodman is at least striking the ball well. Managers will have to wait and see if the rookie first baseman can sustain his incredible start.
Eduardo Escobar (LAA): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Facing a left-handed starter, Escobar was in the Angels’ lineup batting fifth. He made good on his platoon splits, swatting a two-run home run off of Kyle Muller. He added an infield single as the Angels fell to the Athletics, 10-6. Los Angeles has now lost 11 of its last 15 games.
After jettisoning most of its veteran acquisitions, the squad will likely turn to its youth to plan for the future. That could leave Escobar with strictly lefty matchups, or maybe even less.
Spencer Horwitz (TOR): 3-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB
Horwitz knocked his first-career home run, a 442-foot solo shot that helped the Blue Jays to a 7-5 victory over the host Rockies. He added singles in the fifth and seventh innings as the Jays earned the victory.
With Brandon Belt on the shelf with a minor injury, Horwitz has stepped into the starting role at first base for the Jays. He may see an increase in playing time if Belt hits the IL.
Miguel Andujar (PIT): 2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI.
The former Yankees prospect finished with two hits including a home run as the Pirates fell to the Cardinals, 6-4, on Sunday. Andujar turned on a down-and-in cutter and yanked it into the left-field seats for a solo shot in the third inning. Though Andujar earned starts in each of the Pirates’ last two games, he is still the short side of a first base platoon with Alfonso Rivas.
Mike Ford (SEA): 1-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
This guy always seems to hit home runs on Sundays. Ford launched his 14th bomb of the season, touching up a Tylor Megill fastball for a solo home run. Ford is the strong-side platoon for the Mariners at first base and designated hitter, with right-handers José Caballero and Dylan Moore getting starts against lefties. The power is real and proven, though he could hurt average for a team even this late in the year.