Ray’s shortstop Wander Franco made a triumphant return to the starting lineup on Saturday as Tampa Bay lost to the Kansas City Royals (box score). Manager Kevin Cash returned Franco to his typical shortstop position and number 2 in the batting order. Franco, who had been benched for the previous two games, celebrated the occasion with a pair of hits, including his ninth home run of the season.
Here’s a look at the home run. According to Statcast, Franco’s blast had an exit speed of 101.6 mph and traveled 417 feet. It would have been a home run in 26 of the 30 ballparks on the Major League Baseball circuit.
Franco went 2 for 4 with the home run and two runs batted in total.
Franco, 22, came in on Saturday batting .287/.349/.455 (126 OPS+) with eight home runs and 34 runs batted in. He also stole 24 bases on 31 attempts. His contributions were already worth an estimated 3.8 wins over replacement, according to Baseball Reference calculations.
For those wondering, Franco reportedly accumulated a list of infractions over the past few weeks, including failing to hustling on ground balls, endangering teammates through overly emotional reactions to fouls, and verbal altercations with “multiple” teammates, including outfielder Randy Arozarena. according to the Tampa Bay Times.
It’s hard to know how Franco’s teammates feel in private, but at least they said the right things in public. “I told him I’m not going to give him up. No one in this clubhouse does,” said veteran right-hander Zach Eflin told Tricia Whitaker of the Rays broadcast team. Eflin joined the Rays on a multi-year free-agent deal over the winter, having previously pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Rays, of course, have a lot of influence on Franco’s development. Tampa Bay signed him to an 11-year extension worth $182 million in November 2021.