Rehab process provides mental challenge for Twins third baseman Royce Lewis

Royce Lewis has torn his anterior cruciate ligament twice. He has endured multiple lengthy rehab processes that have kept him off the field for a year at a time.

This time around, as he works his way back from a severe quadriceps strain, he says it’s his hardest rehab yet. It’s not because he’s in more pain, but rather it’s a much bigger mental challenge for him without a clearly laid out timeline.

“It’s a lot easier on you when you have a carrot dangling over your head like, ‘Hey, OK, I’m at nine months, I’ve only got three more months,’ or something,” Lewis said. “When you have no idea and you feel so good, it’s the most challenging rehab I’ve ever had.”

Lewis, who suffered the injury on Opening Day, has gotten to the point where he isn’t feeling pain. He’s taking 80 swings a day. He’s taking balls at third base.

He has started running, as well, doing so on the warning track. He has been told to go at 70 percent and constantly has to be reminded to slow down.

Last week, he had an ultrasound to see how he was healing. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey said the results of that revealed that Lewis is exactly where they expected him to be at this stage — no faster, no slower.

“I think they say it went just how they expected,” Lewis said. “But for me, I took it like I can’t play (so) it’s bad. You know what I mean? Unless they say I can play, it’s all bad news. So that’s where I’m at.”

Initially, the thought was that Lewis might miss around two months of the season. That timeline seems as if it might be accurate.

Lewis said he feels as if he could go play now, like he could go perform at a high level. And yet, he’s still a ways off from a return.

“I feel like they’re taking the best care of me. But from what I feel, that’s hard for me to understand,” Lewis said. “And that’s where the mental challenge comes in for the rehab. … It’s just a fact of like how I feel and emotionally, that hurts. I love this game. I want to play. I just miss the game.”

Stewart gets MRI

Brock Stewart first felt a pain in his shoulder on April 25, in the second day of back-to-back outings. He noted it and then advised the training staff when the team went to Anaheim, Calif.

At that point, they decided they would take it day by day and see how he was recovering. Stewart pitched two innings after that first initial pain and said he didn’t think about his shoulder at all on the mound.

But finally, on Friday, when he was playing catch before the game, it got to be too much.

The Twins placed him on the injured list with right shoulder tendinitis and sent him for magnetic resonance imaging on Saturday morning. Once they get the results, they will know more about how to proceed with one of their top relievers.

“Just got to think big picture and take care of now, if we can, and not let it get worse to a point where I just basically screw myself for the rest of the season,” Stewart said. “Just as much as my shoulder’s hurting, my brain and heart is hurting, too, just cause I’ve dealt with injuries before and having success that I have had last year and this year, I want to be that guy.”

Topa progressing

Justin Topa is well aware of the fact that his former team, the Seattle Mariners, is coming to town on Monday. It’s starting to seem possible that the first time Topa pitches in a Twins uniform, it will be against his old teammates.

Topa, on the injured list with patellar tendinitis, could be ready to return early next week. He has thrown in three rehab games for the Triple-A Saints, with another outing scheduled for Sunday.

His stuff, he said, is close to where he wants it to be. His velo is down a tick, but he chalked that up to something that comes along with building back up.

In the meantime, he has been enjoying watching his new bullpen mates show they’re among the best bunch in the league.

“Just to be able to, for myself, not really feel rushed back is, there’s guys doing their job and then some,” Topa said. “I was joking I might not even have a job based on how everybody is throwing. It’s been really fun to watch.”