The chances of Wander Franco returning this season have taken a hit, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays’ shortstop has been pulled off his rehab assignment due to continued soreness in his right hand.
It’s been a frustrating season for the 21-year-old, the first campaign of the huge 11-year, $182MM extension he signed with the Rays in November. After years of hype as one of the top prospects in baseball, often being considered the very best, Franco arrived with aplomb last year. He got into 70 games in his debut season, hitting .288/.347/.463 for a wRC+ of 127, or 27% better than league average. At the end of that successful season, the Rays gave him the largest contract in team history, hoping to have him serve as the face of the franchise for the next decade-plus.
Unfortunately, it’s been a series of injury setbacks here in 2022. Franco missed most of June due to a quad strain, returning for about two weeks before landing on the IL again, this time due to discomfort in his hand and wrist area. The club later announced that Franco would undergo surgery to address damage to his hamate bone, providing a window of 5-8 weeks as his estimated recovery timeline. It was approximately five weeks later (on August 16) that Franco began his rehab assignment. However, it seems that the issue hasn’t quite cleared, with Franco now being shut down for a little bit longer.
This latest setback will put a dent in how much Franco can contribute for the club down the stretch. There are now just over six weeks remaining on the MLB schedule for the regular season. Though the club hasn’t provided any kind of updated timeline of what they expect for the next steps, Franco will first have to get beyond the soreness he’s experiencing and then resume his rehab assignment before the Rays can think about having him rejoin the big league club. Tampa currently holds the final Wild Card spot in the American League, though Minnesota is within a game and a half, with three other clubs with five games.
Until then, the Rays will likely continue slotting Taylor Walls into shortstop, as they have done for most of the games with Franco out of action. He’s hitting .179/.275/.297 on the year for a wRC+ of 73.
Shut him down for 22, and get him ready to go in 23.
I hope he makes a complete recovery.
What’s in the water down there in the DR, anyways. First Tatis, Jr with some hand discomfort and now this. I wonder what drama could be next for Wander? Hopefully, nothing, of course. We’ll see, eventually. Get well WF, get well!
Hand discomfort? You mean a motorcycle accident and broken wrist?
I wonder when the PED suspension is coming for him?
Insert eyeroll.
Stop. Just stop.
Just a joke…calm down
I wish there was a laugh button on here, because that is funny. I wouldn’t be surprised at all
It’s the like button
it crossed my mind also! Yes add a funny button!
Jokes are supposed to be funny though….
Look, while it may have been a joke, players don’t really deserve the benefit of the doubt. Given how we know they will do almost anything to get an edge nothing should surprise us anymore. Not to mention how they all lie when caught.
Yes it’s interesting how someone’s profession explicitly defines them. It’s amazing how two people with two different personalities can’t hold the same job but at least it makes it incredibly easy for us to paint them all with the same brush.
Why would anyone worry about nuance or the vast array of human experiences and emotions when you can just point to a guy and say, “Other guy sorta like him do bad so he probably do bad too.”
Long-term, guaranteed contracts sometimes work out, but most of the time either the player gets hurt, is caught taking or doing something wrong, or starts sucking. Look at how well they perform and stay on the field in their walk years.
I know guaranteed contracts are guaranteed contracts but I wish there was a way for teams to get out from under them when they find out funny business was going on. It isn’t right to pay for services when it was built upon lies.
Well it’s the owners fault. They need to put that in the contract. A morals/ethics clause of some sort. Now sadly the Union would throw a fit and try their hardest not to make that a normal practice
Like any contract, team can get out of them if the player made material misrepresentations and the team relied on those misrepresentations when agreeing to the contract. Material misrepresentations could include PED use that occurred prior to the contract or withholding information about known injuries. But it would not include PED use after the contract or new injuries or injuries not known at the time of the contract.
Like the contract Marwin Gonzales got from the Twins after his cheating made him look like an all star
I wouldn’t worry about billionaire owners losing a few million dollars on their playthings. Especially when those playthings double in value every five years or so.
It’s not the owners cash, it’s the quality of product on the field
That sucks. I hope he comes back strong.
This is why young players sign long-term deals.
“…providing a window of 5-8 as his estimated recovery timeline.”
Years?
If you’re so good at writing or editing mlbtr is hiring. He followed up with 5 weeks. Get a life or go away.
Lifetimes. Dude is out for the next 400 or so years.
lol
How does Taylor Walls have such a high WAR with a batting line like that?
2.1 dWAR
Because WAR terribly overvalues defense.
Or perhaps you personally undervalue defense – another vital component to winning ballgames.
bWAR has a high emphasis on defense. fWAR has him at -.3.
If you want another good one, Andrew Velazquez is slashing only .184/.227/.277 with a 43 OPS+, but has a +1.2 bWAR. The anti-Velazquez was 2009 Adam Dunn, who hit .267/.398/.529 with 38 homers and a 144 OPS+, but had a -.4 bWAR because he had -43 DRS between first base and the corner outfield spots.
Yeah, defense is so overrated. I mean who wants a low scoring game. Every game should just be turned into home run derby. You can have real pitchers throwing the ball. 3 Batters per team per inning. Batters get (1) 12 pitch at bats. 5 points per long ball, -1 per non home run -5 per strikeout. 3 Pitchers throw 3 innings each (108 pitches) Keep it a 9 inning contest.
I’d watch that..
Because WAR is a subjective “statistic”…going by WAR is not rational, yet we live in an irrational time.
WAR is not “subjective.” We can argue that it’s imprecise, or that all elements in the equation are not equally accurate, or the weightings are not correct, and that it’s overused by journalists and fans, but it’s not subjective. It can be used as a guideline.
Isn’t it based on determining what a replacement level player would have done in similar situations (at-bats, defensive plays, etc)? Since you can’t say for sure what a replacement level player would have certainly done in the same situation, I’d say there has to be at least some level of subjectivity.
New stat: WAR (Wisdom Above Replacement) measures how your average 21-year old would have made decisions in similar situations.
It is also subjective because values are assigned or taken away simply because of the position you play. So the person making the formula subjectively assigns values to each position on the field. So a mediocre shortstop and a good first baseman get basically the same # of “points” credited to them. I get the idea, but disagree with the results.
Walls is a very good shortstop. The bat will hopefully catch up to the glove
tbf on Walls, his BABIP is only .230, he’s having some bad luck this season.
That’s because most of his contact is in the air. Warning track power.
“War, huh (Good G*d)
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it, again”
Injury prone season at 21. Hopefully just a fluke. If he happens again in 2023, the Rays will likely be concerned enough that they’ll consider trading him in fear they’ll be stuck with the higher contract years for a player who may be injury prone.
Also, nothing stopping the Rays from just repeating what they did with Longo with Wander. The contract means nothing.
I really like the word, “aplomb.”
Yes, it reminds me of childhood:
Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner
Eating a Christmas pie.
He stuck in his thumb
And pulled out aplomb
And said, “What a good boy am I!”
A plumb, aplomb.
Tomato, potahto.
Was a stretch to expect Wander back in only 5 weeks.
I think Wander still has some growing up to do.
si.com/mlb/2022/07/22/rays-wander-franco-had-650k-…
Because he had $650k worth of jewelry stolen from a $60 safe inside a Rolls Royce, or that he has $650k in jewelry and a Rolls Royce?
I’m pretty sure he had everything insured while I wouldn’t want think about its premiums. You have nice stuff, bad people are going to try to take it.
@YBC, hopefully he insured it. His choices suggest a bit of a carefree, if not a reckless approach, so it can’t be guaranteed. As I noted, he actually got back what he likely will consider his most “valuable” assets over his life. His championship rings.
How can you be dumb enough to leave a cheap safe in view with $650K in jewelry inside?
Answer, only if you’re dumb enough to drive a Rolls Royce to a minor league game
He’s 21, has less than a full season of AB’s on his resume, made face of a pro sports franchise, and given “limitless” money. Probably investing in depreciating customized assets isn’t the wisest decisions. Live and learn.
I’m sure all 21 year olds would make great choices in their lives than Wander Franco does, right? Isnt that how stupid this logic/line of reasoning is?
Having 650K in jewelry, storing it in a crappy $60 safe in plan view in a $325K Mercedes? Why not go swimming in shark-infested waters while you’re bleeding too? Make sure you kick a lot to get extra attention.
The “alleged” criminal has a long rap sheet, with at least six or seven recent arrests, and indeed was in court just a couple weeks prior. Franco might as well put a sign on his car “valuables inside, rob me.” In fairness to the perp, no way he thought he was scoring a half-million-plus. His priors were mostly petty crimes. Even he was likely surprised at his haul, if he even know the value.
Hopefully Franco was smart enough to insure the valuables. No guarantee considering how careless he was with the property. Is the insurance company even required to pay our the claim if he’s that reckless? Fortunately, the police did recover his two championship rings. They will have the most value to him longterm as a opposed to a couple of $300K chains that he can replace. Good heavens. What’s wrong with people? I think I’m more angry at the wastefulness of Franco than the actual criminal. At 21, flaunting wealth like that says much about his character. Probably the only difference between the two is Franco’s fast-twitch muscles!
I’d love to know what the pawn broker paid for the $600K in jewelry. Shouldn’t he have immediately suspected theft? :You don’t mind if I call a buddy?
*Rolls Royce*
Even more of a spotlight to rob!
RobM… go make something of yourself. Stop crying cause wander has the world at his hands and you don’t.
It is a curse when writers say “the next phenom” or “the best player in the minors” and they start comparing them to MLB PLAYERS!!! Literally to all MLB writers and announcers. STFU. You all have no clue really
If all MLB announcers literally took your advice games would be very difficult to listen to on the radio.
@gravel
The radio broadcast used to be enjoyable to listen to. Check out some of the broadcasts from the 40s & 50s. Nowadays, they’re trying too hard to fill every gap with some sort of useless junk.
About 1/2 of MLB radio broadcasts are very good. I do agree that many broadcasting crews either come unprepared to work, or fill the airwaves with meaningless drivel….such as what the last 2 pitches were and what the pitcher will probably throw next.
With MLB.TV there are only 3 or 4 TV broadcasts I listen to, usually I use the radio feed for audio.
@Samuel
I’m not sure what it is but I enjoy listening to Dewayne Staats for the Rays.
Actually Old York;
I just looked it up……
There are 7 radio broadcasts I think are very good – interesting, informative, enjoyable, etc.:
A’s, Braves, Dodgers, Giants, Guardians, Mets, and Yankees. (Astros are very good but their TV broadcast is exceptional so I always listen to it.)
Maybe another half dozen I can put up with for a while before I lower the sound.
When watching a game on MLB.TV the viewer can select the feed of: 1) the home team TV or radio or 2) the away team TV or radio. So all one needs to find is 1 of 4 feeds that’s acceptable. Usually I can do that. But if it’s something like the Rays playing the Twins or the Pirates playing the Reds I leave the sound off unless I need an explanation of a challenge that’s in progress.
Old York;
I can almost stomach Staats on TV, but Brian Anderson doing the color is a disaster.
He’s one of those ex-players – often pitchers – that has to talk after every single pitch. Treats the audience as if they’re 12 year-olds that never watched a baseball game before. He’s very similar to Daron Sutton that I found impossible to listen to when I was in LA and he did the angels games. Got fired. Hooped on with the Brewers. Got fired. Recently signed by the Dodgers. Got fired mid-season.
P.S. Then their the overgrown kids that have been hired the past 3-5 years. They do the sports talk radio thing with analogies while they giggle with one another. The male equivalent of broadcasting from a beauty parlor.
If you haven’t listened to the Cubs broadcast, you’re missing out. Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer are incredibly entertaining and knowledgeable.
@Samuel, Good morning. Agreed, there are crews unprepared for work. That said, there are crews who are prepared but are just not nearly as talented as who they replaced. Why? As part of a complete rebuild, the team did not just dismantle the on field product but the non field departments as well. A new vision strategy on a shoe string budget approach.
And the team I’m thinking of took it one step further. Already going cheap with on air personalities, quality not being a priority, give folks an opportunity who do not fit the traditional demographic of voice we all are use to. Not saying this is good or bad, just saying it is.
C Yards Jeff;
LOL
If you’re talking the O’s, yes most of their broadcasters are pretty bad. But I’m going to tell you something – I think that far and away when Kevin Brown is doing play-by-play with Ben McDonald they’re the most fun and informative TV (or radio) broadcast team in MLB…..
They’re always prepared (what players on both teams are hot / cold/ semi-injured/; what their respective managers are hoping to get out of them that game’ etc.) and can immediately bring up stats or insightful comments in a critical situation or immediately after a play. The fact that McDonald is part-time and uses his other time to do scouting – including keeping tabs on college and high school prospects – then shares things such as timings when runners attempt to steal bases or a Catcher’s release time in throwing to 2B is something I’ve never heard before. They’ll use the sexy stats such as how fast a runner goes around the baes (cutting the bases and hitting it with the side of the left foot is basic fundamentals….one that that most MLB players don’t do…..although most O’s players do it); how much ground infielders are covering, and quote the speed of their throws to other bases at a critical time when they just nip a runner. None of the other O”s broadcasters do that, most broadcasters around MLB don’t do it. It’s like sitting next to the scouts and hearing them talk during the game.
nikb812
I quite enjoy Pat Hughes. Ron Coomer is just ok to me.
All,
I have to agree with you on most counts on the state of announcing. That said, I’ve been blessed to have very good announcers to listen to.
What are they supposed to say? “This minor leaguer is unlike any we’ve ever seen before?” He can’t be compared to any major league player?”
So we’re going to gloss over what he did last season then?
Goes to show, I guess — you can hit walls, but Walls can’t hit.
Sign Didi, and do it now! He’s better than in-house candidates. Thinking Wander’s supposed near return was the main reason Rays initially passed on Didi.
Didi is also a great clubhouse guy. Rays need someone to light a fire under their butts. Watching them play is Yuck City!
Getting Didi G won’t magically heal the 97 Rays players on the IL
All I’m saying is Didi is better than a dead spot. Plus, he’s battle tested in terms of being no stranger over his career to being part of a team fighting for or making the playoffs. Isn’t gonna do it all by himself, but a plus move with zero downside for the Rays to make.