Who will start for Twins at third base with Royce Lewis sidelined?

BRADENTON, FLA. – Missing from the clubhouse wall in the immediate aftermath of Royce Lewis’ strained left hamstring was a tentative lineup for the Twins’ next spring training game.

Position players are given advance notice about whether they are scheduled to play the following day, particularly if they need to make a road trip, and it lets them know if they need to prepare for a certain position.

With Lewis sidelined — a moderate hamstring strain, a magnetic resonance imaging exam confirmed — Brooks Lee started just his second spring game at third base Monday.

Manager Rocco Baldelli cautioned not to read too much into one lineup with eight Grapefruit League games left, but Lee is one of the candidates for the starting third base job. Jose Miranda, who already started seven spring games at third base, played first base Monday. Another candidate to start at third, Willi Castro, was at shortstop.

“There is going to be a little bit more of a priority to get several guys over there, and you’ll see those over the next handful of days who all those guys are,” Baldelli said.

The Twins coaching staff and front office discuss injury contingencies throughout camp, but there are now intertwined competitions for two infield spots. Castro was a lead contender to start at second base with Lee and Edouard Julien as the primary competition.

As much as the Twins pride themselves on their defensive versatility, Baldelli said he wasn’t necessarily looking to mix and match with his infielders once the season begins.

“A much more productive plan is to let guys play, let them understand what their roles are, what they’re being asked to do, and then cut them loose,” Baldelli said. “That’s where you get the best versions of all these guys.”

Miranda, Lee and Castro all can make arguments to start at third base in Lewis’ absence:

• Miranda seized the third base job when Lewis was out for the first two months of last season, and he was hitting .325 with an .888 OPS before the All-Star break. The Twins lose one of their best hitters when Lewis is sidelined, so Miranda could play a role in keeping the offense afloat. Before Lewis’ injury, Miranda appeared set to earn his playing time as a designated hitter and a backup corner infield.

• Lee, still fighting for a spot on the 26-man roster, is a strong defender. It’s important, though, that he shows his offensive potential. Once a highly rated prospect, Lee struggled to hit during his rookie season. The switch hitter has totaled 10 hits in 42 at-bats (.238 batting average) this spring with two extra-base hits, two walks and eight strikeouts.

• Castro has a secure spot on the roster, it’s just a question of where the Twins want to play him. He has impressed with his defense at second base during camp, though the Twins could move him across the diamond if they want to open a spot for Julien to play regularly.

Matt Wallner drilled a solo homer off Pittsburgh reliever Dennis Santana in the seventh inning Monday at LECOM Park. It was his sixth home run of the spring, tying him for the most among MLB players.

Joe Ryan, who struck out four of his five batters, gave up three hits and three runs across four innings, which included homers to Ke’Bryan Hayes and Joey Bart in a 4-2 loss to the Pirates.

The Twins totaled five hits and one run in 4⅔ innings against Paul Skenes, last year‘s National League Rookie of the Year. Skenes struck out seven.

“He’s a big horse,” said Baldelli, who hadn’t watched Skenes pitch in person. “He’s obviously a very exciting pitcher for the Pirates and for the league. You can see what everybody talks about.”

• Brock Stewart is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, and if that goes well, he expects to return to pitching in games. Stewart exited his outing Saturday against Atlanta early because of a minor hamstring strain.

• Justin Topa threw 24 pitches in his first Grapefruit League outing since March 5, striking out two batters and giving up a solo homer to Bryan Reynolds on a changeup. The longer inning, he said, at least gave him more time to work on his timing and pitching mechanics. “He does different things with his stuff than most of the guys that are out there,” Baldelli said. “I think he’d be a really nice complement to our bullpen if we get him to where he needs to be, and I think he’s on his way there right now.”