The Twins placed Brooks Lee on the 10-day injured list.

Fantasy Impact

Lee will be sidelined to open the season with back tightness. Edouard Julien and Willi Castro should open the second at second base and third base.

Brooks Lee announced Sunday he’ll open the regular season on the 10-day IL with lower-back tightness, per team updates, missing Thursday’s opener.

Fantasy Impact

Lee’s back tightness, lingering for days, shelves him for the Twins’ Thursday start, alongside Royce Lewis’s hamstring issue, opening third base for Willi Castro and Jose Miranda. The 24-year-old delays his regular role. Fantasy managers in dynasty leagues should stash him, banking on his upside for a quick return to Minnesota’s 2025 lineup if his recovery progresses smoothly.

Brooks Lee (back) was pulled from Thursday’s Grapefruit League lineup against Boston due to lower-back tightness, per team updates, with a day-to-day status assigned.

Fantasy Impact

Lee’s lower-back tightness sidelines him Thursday versus Boston, labeled day-to-day, letting Jose Miranda grab extra third base reps for the Twins. It’s not deemed serious. Fantasy managers in dynasty leagues should roster him, banking on the 24-year-old’s prospect upside for a Twins infield role in 2025, assuming this minor tweak doesn’t linger past Opening Day.

Brooks Lee will start at third base and bat seventh in Monday’s Grapefruit League game against the Pirates, per team updates, stepping in after Royce Lewis’s Sunday injury.

Fantasy Impact

Lee takes third base Monday with Royce Lewis sidelined by a hamstring strain, likely missing Opening Day for Minnesota. This shifts Willi Castro and Edouard Julien to second base reps. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should eye Lee for early playing time, as his glove and bat could shine while Lewis recovers.

According to Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, Brooks Lee “won’t be handed the starting role or even necessarily a roster spot” heading into the 2025 season. While the Twins hope Lee can claim the second base job, his struggles in his MLB debut—slashing .221/.265/.320 in 50 games, including .182 after a strong first week—suggest he may need more time in Triple-A.

Fantasy Impact

Lee possesses elite contact skills but needs to demonstrate more impactful hitting to secure a full-time role. If he doesn’t break camp with the team, Willi Castro and Edouard Julien are expected to see most of the reps at second base. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues should take a wait-and-see approach, while dynasty owners should hold given his long-term upside.