After loss to Tigers, Twins make room for Royce Lewis' return by designating Jonah Bride

New York Times

4 hours ago

DETROIT — Following Tarik Skubal's dominance on Sunday night, the Twins designated backup infielder Jonah Bride for assignment, presumably to make room for Royce Lewis.
A team source confirmed Bride was DFA'd by the Twins after a 3-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers, a contest controlled by Skubal. The American League's reigning Cy Young winner tied a career high with 13 strikeouts, and he and two relievers combined on a two-hit shutout.
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Bride, who was acquired for cash in a trade from Miami on April 16, received hugs and handshakes from several coaches after manager Rocco Baldelli informed him of the decision.
The move properly aligns with the return of Lewis, who should be activated before the Twins open a three-game series at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night. Out since June 15 with a left hamstring strain, Lewis emerged healthy after appearing in a third consecutive rehab game for Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday afternoon.
Lewis played third base Sunday after operating as the team's designated hitter in the first two games. He went 0-for-8 with a walk and two strikeouts on his assignment.
Though he's struggled at the plate this season, the Twins could have used the potential right-handed thump from Lewis against Skubal, who retired the first 13 batters he faced before Ty France singled with one out in the fifth inning. The Twins were no match for Skubal, who struck out eight of the first nine batters he faced.
THIRTEEN STRIKEOUTS.SEVEN SHUTOUT FRAMES.
TARIK. SKUBAL. pic.twitter.com/L4rFFw3zfs
— MLB (@MLB) June 30, 2025
'He's (one of the) best pitchers, if not the best pitchers, in the game right now,' catcher Ryan Jeffers said. 'You try and come up with a good plan to try and attack your at-bats, but he's really good and has the ability of doing whatever. He can throw all changeups, and you're on the fastball — you go up on the fastball for an at-bat, and he uses all changeup or you go up there, 'Hey, I'm going to try to be on the changeup,' and then he'll just throw 99 at you. He does a really good job of not letting you find a pattern or get on one pattern or one pitch.'
Lewis, who's hitting .202/.282/.303 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 110 plate appearances, missed the Twins' first 35 games after straining the same left hamstring on March 16. Upon returning to the lineup on May 6, Lewis immediately struggled, going hitless in his first 15 at-bats. Though Lewis went nine for his next 30, he slumped again, this time going hitless in 32 at-bats, a streak which ended on June 4.
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Right before his latest injury, Lewis finally found rhythm at the plate, going 11-for-28. He suffered the injury running down the line after hitting a single in a June 14 loss at Houston.
Despite his struggles at the plate, the Twins are 18-12 with Lewis in the lineup. The Twins are 22-32 when Lewis doesn't play.
Facing a slew of position player injuries in April, the Twins acquired Bride after the Marlins designated him for assignment. The Twins hoped they could help Bride rediscover the form that led him to hit .276/.357/.461 with 11 homers for Miami last season.
After making a slight adjustment with the positioning of his hands, Bride began his Twins tenure by going 7-for-14. However, with Brooks Lee, Kody Clemens and Lewis receiving the bulk of the playing time, at-bats became more sporadic for Bride, who only had eight hits in his last 58 at-bats for the Twins.
Bride gained far more notoriety for pitching in blowout losses. He worked in four games, allowing 10 earned runs and 14 hits in six innings.
(Top photo of Royce Lewis from June 10 against the Texas Rangers: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)