Royce Lewis is hitting .122 with 15 strikeouts in 44 trips to the plate since coming off the injured list on April 21. Nick Wosika / Imagn Images

Dan Hayes | Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Royce Lewis is not only slumping. He can also hear Kaelen Culpepper’s loud footsteps at Triple A and wonders if his days with the Minnesota Twins are numbered.

The Minnesota Twins third baseman was held out of the lineup for a second straight game Thursday. Twins manager Derek Shelton described the absence as similar to the one he gave Matt Wallner last week — an opportunity for Lewis to work on his swing without worrying about results, as well as a chance to mentally reset.

Given Lewis admitted he’s thinking about the big picture, the two-day break seems appropriate.

At a time when Culpepper — the No. 82 prospect in baseball, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law — is heating up at the plate, Lewis is struggling worse than ever. Though he’s carrying a .581 OPS in 89 plate appearances this season, Lewis is hitting .122/.159/.195 with 15 strikeouts in 44 trips to the plate since coming off the injured list on April 21.

“It can be really hard when you feel like your career is going in a different direction,” Lewis said. “It’s been tougher because obviously we know there’s always someone on your tail. There’s always someone ready to take your next job. Every day I’m here fighting and working as hard as I can to show that I’m giving it my all to keep my job because I love what I do. I’ve been smiling. I feel fine leaving the game. But I think what scares me most is like, ‘Oh, they might try to get me out of here.’ When I leave the field, that thought does creep into my head.”

Most major league players harbor similar thoughts at some point in their careers. Almost nobody is immune to self-doubt creeping in during times of struggle.

This season alone, Wallner and Brooks Lee experienced prolonged struggles and were given time off to work and reflect. Shelton likes how such absences not only provide an opportunity to work on specific aspects of their swing, but also afford players a chance to be unconcerned with their performance.

“Part of the coaching staff’s job is to make sure he stays in the right frame of mind,” Shelton said. “You compound a game or two or three of at-bats that you’re not happy with, and your mind starts to go in dangerous places. … When you take the pressure away and have them watch the game, guys have a tendency to relax a little bit because they know I don’t have to be out there.”

Shelton watched Lewis work ahead of Wednesday’s game and liked the quality he saw and where the work was focused. Lewis took early batting practice with hitting coaches to implement changes designed to help him rediscover his powerful form. He also hit with the team during regular BP and got in similar work before Thursday’s day game.

New Twins hitting coach Keith Beauregard said one way to keep Lewis focused is to review how opponents attacked him, repeatedly inquire about how his swing feels and to provide him with a detailed plan for the following day. From that end, Beauregard likes what he sees.

“His work every day has been really consistent,” Beauregard said. “He’s focused with everything that he does. From a swing standpoint, as an athlete, we’re always trying to focus on getting guys into athletic positions and to feel flowy as a hitter. That’s always been the work with him.”

Lewis said he feels supported in the clubhouse by his teammates and the new coaching staff. As he’s endured this latest round of struggles, Lewis isn’t worried about how his peers view him.

“This is a great clubhouse,” Lewis said.

But as he gets more expensive — Lewis is earning $2.85 million this season — and sees more affordable options performing behind him, Lewis worries whether the front office feels the same as his coaches and teammates. Lewis is particularly attuned to the business of baseball and seems aware of his own career mortality as he continues to struggle and prospects like Culpepper heat up.

“It feels like people around here sometimes are waiting for me to struggle so that they can write me off officially or get me out of here,” Lewis said. “It’s the first time in my career where it’s become a business instead of playing the game that I love.”

Over his last seven games for Triple-A St. Paul, Culpepper was hitting .276/.389/.793 with four home runs and eight RBIs.

Despite his recent hot stretch, the Twins don’t want to rush Culpepper, whom they selected 21st in the 2024 draft. Not only do they want Culpepper to work on his defensive consistency at shortstop, but they’d also like him to hone his offensive skill set.

Were the Twins to option Lewis to Triple A to work on a swing he’s been overhauling since the offseason, the more realistic immediate replacement appears to be veteran Ryan Kreidler.

Unlike Culpepper, who has seen some action at third base but played the majority of his games at shortstop, Kreidler is unlikely to be viewed as a long-term option, which means that even if they optioned Lewis, whose struggles date back to August 2024, it doesn’t appear his window would be closed.

Shelton emphasized the Twins remain hopeful they can unlock Lewis. As he discussed the player’s two days off, Shelton — who flew to Texas in November to meet with Lewis immediately after he was named manager — reiterated his support.

“We do believe he can perform, and that’s why we’re giving him a couple days to work on things,” Shelton said. “That’s really common throughout the game. We’ve already done it where, ‘We’re going to get you working on the things we think will help you,’ and then get him back in there and let him execute those things.”