Franco entered spring training fully healthy, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.
Franco was limited to only 344 plate appearances in 2022 due to a combination of quadriceps and wrist injuries. Frustrated by being sidelined, Franco focused his offseason work on durability with the goal being to remain in the lineup more regularly. While he had a disappointing 2022 campaign, Franco still managed six home runs, eight stolen bases and a .745 OPS in the partial year.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Absent from Wednesday's lineup
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Franco isn't starting Wednesday against Boston, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Franco has gone 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a triple, a walk and a strikeout over the last two games, and he'll be on the bench for Wednesday's regular-season finale. Taylor Walls is taking over at shortstop and batting eighth.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Three hits including homer in loss
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Franco went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and triple in Monday's loss to the Red Sox.
Franco launched a leadoff homer off Rich Hill to open Monday's contest, giving the Rays an early 1-0 lead. He later added a single and a triple in the contest. The homer was his sixth of the season and first since July 2. Since returning from the 10-day injured list Sept. 9, Franco has produced a .322 average with a homer, a triple, eight doubles, 10 RBI, 12 runs and three stolen bases over 86 at-bats in 24 games.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Day off Sunday
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Franco is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Franco started the past 12 contests and will head to the bench after he posted an .866 OPS with six doubles, four RBI and seven runs during that span. Taylor Walls will shift to shortstop while Miles Mastrobuoni stars at the keystone Sunday.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Swipes two bags in loss
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Franco went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and two steals in Thursday's 2-1 loss against the Guardians.
Franco recorded a double off righty starter Cal Quantrill in addition to nabbing second base twice. The shortstop has recorded three steals in his last three games and has recorded one hit or more in 14 of his last 15 contests. Furthermore, the 21-year-old has tallied six doubles over his last nine games.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Steals sixth base
Rotowire
Franco went 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base in a 6-5 extra-innings win Tuesday in Cleveland.
Franco doubled and scored in the third and walked, stole a base and scored in the 11th. He's 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts this season and Tuesday's steal was his first since July 5. Since returning from a wrist injury Sept. 9, he has a .324/.365/.426 slash line with only five strikeouts in 74 plate appearances.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Back in action Tuesday
Rotowire
Franco (hand) is starting at shortstop and hitting third Tuesday against the Guardians, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
As expected, Franco is back in action after jamming his left hand in Sunday's game against the Blue Jays. He is hitting .328/.362/.422 with zero home runs and zero steals in 18 games since getting activated from the injured list earlier this month following a wrist injury.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Should play Tuesday
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Rays manager Kevin Cash said that the jammed left hand that caused Franco's early exit in Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Blue Jays isn't anything worrisome and isn't expected to keep the 21-year-old from playing Tuesday in Cleveland, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "He just got jammed a little bit," Cash said of Franco. "He's fine. He would have hit had the game been a little closer."
Franco's departure came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when he was lifted from a pinch hitter after initially jamming his hand in his fifth-inning plate appearance. Cash noted that the Rays' six-run deficit was the main reason Franco was removed from the contest, and the infielder was fortunate not to aggravate the right wrist he had surgically repaired earlier this season. Before exiting, Franco went 1-for-3 with a single to extend his hitting streak to a career-long 12 games.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Nursing hand issue
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Franco was removed from Sunday's loss to the Blue Jays with a jammed left hand, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Franco was being examined by the training staff and was flexing his left hand in the dugout prior to being lifted for a pinch hitter during the eighth inning. Manager Kevin Cash indicated the young shortstop was removed as a precautionary measure since the Rays were already trailing 6-1. Tampa Bay has a scheduled day off Monday, so Franco will have an extra day to recover ahead of Tuesday's series opener in Cleveland.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Knocks in three in win
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Franco went 2-for-5 with one double, three RBI and one run scored in Thursday's 10-5 win over the Blue Jays.
Franco knocked in Jonathan Aranda with a two-out single in the second inning before coming around to score on a single from Randy Arozarena in the following at-bat. In his next at-bat, the star shortstop ripped a double to deep center field that drove in Aranda for a second time, along with Taylor Walls. Franco is now riding a nine-game hitting streak, hitting .333 over that stretch with three doubles, five RBI and three runs scored.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Reaches base four times
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Franco went 2-for-2 with a double and two walks Tuesday against the Astros.
Franco had two of the Rays' three hits on the night, highlighted by a double in the sixth inning. He's in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, though he's produced only two RBI and one run scored in that span. Franco has had a disappointing season, as he has just a .125 ISO with five home runs and five stolen bases across 295 plate appearances.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Sitting Sunday
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Franco is not in Sunday's lineup against the Rangers, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Franco is hitting .278 with two doubles, two strikeouts and one walk in 10 games since getting activated earlier this month. Taylor Walls is starting at shortstop and hitting ninth.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Takes break Monday
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Franco is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Manager Kevin Cash confirmed that Franco is on the bench for the series opener for maintenance purposes after the star infielder returned to action over the weekend following a two-month stint on the injured list. Taylor Walls will step in at shortstop for Franco, who went 4-for-11 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs in his first three games back in the Tampa Bay lineup.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Knocks in two runs
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Franco went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 4-2 victory over the Yankees.
All of Tampa's four runs were scored via doubles, with Franco having a hand in al four. He scored on both of Randy Arozarena's doubles -- one in the first inning and one in the fourth. The shortstop hit his own double in the fourth that scored Yandy Diaz and Ji-Man Choi. This was Franco's first game since July 9 and he picked up right where he left off. After the three-hit game, the young star is slashing .267/.313/.409.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Reinstated from injured list
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Franco (wrist) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The Rays were hopeful that Franco would be cleared to return to the lineup Friday against the Yankees, and he was ultimately activated after testing his injury prior to the game. The 21-year-old appeared in three rehab games over the last week and went 6-for-11 with a double, two runs, an RBI and a walk. Franco will reclaim his role as Tampa Bay's everyday shortstop now that he's fully healthy.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Could be activated Friday
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Franco (wrist) could be activated as soon as Friday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
According to president of baseball operations Erik Neander, Wednesday's rehab game was a big step for Franco after his progress seemed to stall earlier in the week. The young shortstop is 6-for-11 with a double, a walk and zero strikeouts in three rehab games with Durham.
Franco (wrist) got treatment and took 40-to-50 swings during Tuesday's off-day at Triple-A Durham and is expected to play for the affiliate Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The news is a welcome development for the Rays and Franco's fantasy investors after he tweaked his wrist in Monday's rehab game and exited earlier than previously planned. Franco will likely need at least a couple more rehab games before rejoining the big-league club.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Tweaks wrist in rehab game
Rotowire
Franco appeared to tweak his surgically repaired right wrist in his second at-bat Monday in a rehab game for Triple-A Durham, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.
Fortunately for Franco and the Rays, no X-rays were needed, and the team doesn't believe it to be a serious setback. Franco appears to be day-to-day and will likely be re-evaluated Wednesday. Franco began his rehab assignment Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
Franco (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham on Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Franco hit on the field ahead of Saturday's game against the Yankees and will see some game action in the minors to close out the weekend. The 21-year-old is expected to remain in the minors for about a week, so Franco seems likely to be back in action around Sept. 12, when the Rays begin a series in Toronto.
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Rays' Wander Franco: Could return next week
Rotowire
Franco (wrist) said Friday that he feels "super good" and believes he is nearing a return, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.
He started hitting in batting practice at the beginning of this week and hasn't had any issues with his wrist. If all continues to go well, Franco said he expects to go to Triple-A Durham for a few rehab games. This isn't a concrete timeline provided by the team, but it sounds like Franco could be activated as soon as next week.
