Brooks Lee hits two-run homer in Twins’ victory

Lee manned the two-hole in the Twins lineup in their first game without Byron Buxton, who went back on the injured list with yet another right hip injury before this game. Lee couldn’t muster a single hit or hard-hit ball in a game where the Twins had 14 as a team. He’s struggled to a .687 OPS over his last 30 games and will need to pick up the slack without Buxton.

Lee had a monster game here in a big win for his Twins. He helped get a rally churning with a run-scoring single in the third inning and broke this game open with a three-run homer in the fourth. That long ball was especially painful for the Guardians since it came after an error let that inning get to Lee. Overall, he’s been solid in an everyday role this season with a .254 batting average, .746 OPS, 15 home runs, and 56 RBI. Those power numbers are already approaching his totals from last season in 41 fewer games.

Lee continues to produce. His second double of this game cut the Angels’ lead to 4-2 and put the tying runs in scoring position with just one out. The Twins would push one more run across, but sadly never tie this game back up. Nevertheless, Lee has kept his head above water all season with a .744 OPS to go along with 14 home runs and five stolen bases as we approach the All-Star break.

Lee was a pest this game. First, he ignited a rally in the third with a single that helped spur a three-run inning against Shohei Ohtani. Then, he continued to find his way on base and was stranded twice in scoring position with the Twins trailing by just one run. Regardless, he’s maintained near league average production all season while splitting time at shortstop and third base.

Lee brought a run home on a groundout in the third inning, then later started a four-run sixth inning with a solo homer off Michael Wacha. The 25-year-old infielder is having a solid season with the Twins, hitting .247/.300/.420 with nine homers, 27 runs scored, and 37 RBI across 238 plate appearances.

Lee drove in all three runs that Minnesota scored while registering their only two extra-base hits. Braxton Ashcraft largely shut down the Twins, but Lee tagged him for a two-run homer in the sixth before adding a solo shot in the ninth. The 25-year-old infielder mostly hit second this past week. He opened the season as the everyday shortstop but has shifted to third base since the Twins optioned Royce Lewis to Triple-A. Tristan Gray has been handling shortstop since then.

Lee takes a seat with Orlando Arcia getting a shot at third base for the first time since being called up earlier this month. The 25-year-old infielder has cooled off a bit in the last few games after an impressive five-game stretch earlier this week where he batted .350 (7-for-20) with one homer and six RBI. He appears to be Minnesota’s preferred option at the hot corner until further notice with top prospect Kaelen Culpepper seemingly earmarked for shortstop once he arrives this summer.

Lee is making his sixth consecutive start at the hot corner as Minnesota appears to be preparing for the inevitable arrival of 2024 first-round pick Kaelen Culpepper as their shortstop of the future. The 23-year-old top prospect is hitting .247/.349/.473 with 11 homers and 11 steals in 218 plate appearances over 46 games for Triple-A St. Paul this season. Lee’s transition to third base seems to signal that the Twins are likely done with Royce Lewis as a long-term option at the position. It’s a stunning development given how potent Lewis looked as a burgeoning offensive force earlier in his career before injuries derailed his promising career.

The Twins and White Sox were locked in a 2-2 tie before Lee came up in the 11th inning. With the bases loaded, he roped a double to right field that drove in all three runs. The Twins would go on to win 5-3. Lee is hitting .259 with 23 runs, six home runs, 30 RBI and three stolen bases.

Lee’s homer was his sixth of the year on just seven barrels. He’s been solid for the Twins in hitting .256/.313/.411, but it’s come with a slightly higher strikeout rate and weaker exit velocity numbers than last year. There still just isn’t much reason to think he’s going to be very good going forward, and now expectations are going to be a little higher offensively since the Twins seemed to have given up on him as a shortstop and moved him to third base in Royce Lewis’s place.