Brooks Lee Scratched On Thursday With Back Tightness
Brooks Lee (back) was scratched from Thursday's Grapefruit League lineup due to lower-back tightness, according to the St. Paul Pioneer's Betsy Helfand. Lee is being considered day-to-day for now. Jose Miranda replaced him at third base against the Boston Red Sox. While the 24-year-old's injury doesn't appear to be serious, it's a bit more concerning with Opening Day just a week away. The former first-rounder (eighth overall) in 2022 out of Cal Poly made his big-league debut a year ago and hit .221/.265/.320 with a weak .585 OPS, three home runs, 27 RBI, three steals and nine runs scored in 50 games. It wasn't exactly pretty, but Lee displayed strong contact skills in the minors and has good plate discipline. With Royce Lewis (hamstring) starting the year on the injured list, Lee should see solid playing time between second and third base for the Twins as long as his back injury doesn't linger.
Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press - Betsy Helfand
Minnesota Twins infielder Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press - Betsy Helfand
Brooks Lee Expected To Be Activated Sunday
Brooks Lee (back) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Sunday before the Twins wrap up their series with the Tigers. Lee will take the roster spot of Jose Miranda, who was optioned to Triple-A on Saturday after a tough start to the season. Lee had a solid spring training and looked ready for an everyday role in the infield before landing on the 10-day injured list with lower back tightness. He only hit .221 with three homers and three stolen bases in 50 games in the majors last year but hit .331 with eight homers in the minor leagues in 2023. He went 3-for-13 with one walk on his rehab assignment, but the Twins are moving him quickly back into the lineup since they're looking for answers on offense after struggling to a 4-11 start to the season.
Source: Aaron Gleeman
Minnesota Twins second baseman/third baseman Source: Aaron Gleeman
Brooks Lee Making Progress In Recovery
Brooks Lee (back) has made good progress in his recovery and will begin participating in scrimmage games. Lee has been on the injured list since the start of the regular season due to a lumbar strain. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress, but it appears the 24-year-old could be approaching a rehab assignment. Last season, the Cal Poly product made his MLB debut and held a .221/.265/.320 slash line across 50 contests. He went deep three times and added six doubles. The former eighth overall selection from the 2022 MLB Draft has posted a cumulative .266/.330/.500 line with 15 doubles and 13 home runs across 63 contests. While Lee remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Jose Miranda and Willi Castro to continue seeing most opportunities at the hot corner.
Source: Darren Wolfson
Minnesota Twins infielder Source: Darren Wolfson
Brooks Lee To Start Season On Injured List
Brooks Lee (back) will begin the season on the 10-day injured list, per Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune. On Thursday, Lee was scratched from the Twins' lineup with lower back tightness and is still battling the injury. He did not participate in on-field pregame drills on Saturday. Lee was projected to see a good amount of playing time with teammate Royce Lewis (hamstring) starting the year on the IL, but he'll now recover from his own bout with injury. The 24-year-old hit for good contact in the minors and displayed strong enough plate discipline to profile as a potential impactful asset despite the ineffectiveness during his 2024 debut. He's a late-round option in drafts, selected outside of the top 200. Teammate Edouard Julien will pick up the slack at second base.
Source: Bobby Nightengale
Minnesota Twins shortstop Source: Bobby Nightengale
Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien Both Expected To See Time At Second
Brooks Lee and Edouard Julien are the favorites to make the team out of camp and share duties manning second base for Minnesota. The Twins also have super-utility man Willi Castro, who can play the position as well, but would likely see time all over the field after playing five different positions last season for the Twins. Lee made his MLB debut in 2024 with mixed results but is showing well this spring and comes with 2B, 3B, and SS eligibility on Yahoo, while Julien draws lots of walks and hit as many as 16 homers back in 2023. Neither one makes for a great fantasy option at the moment, though, unless one secures the position for themselves.
Source: Matthew Leach - MLB.com
Minnesota Twins second basemen Source: Matthew Leach - MLB.com
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