Wander Franco’s Absence Would Greatly Add To Rays’ Challenging Summer

With injuries continuing to pile up on the pitching staff, with the latest being Shane McClanahan’s forearm tightness that ended his season, manager Kevin Cash and pitching coach Kyle Snyder are tasked with finding ways to juggle starters, openers and relievers to get through a regular season that has 42 games remaining.

It is no small challenge what the Rays are facing when it comes to pitching. It is a challenge that could be made easier by an offense that again finds a groove and carries the team into the postseason. While it would likely be asking too much for the bats to replicate a torrid first several weeks to the season when Tampa Bay was averaging two homers per game and there was no short supply of impressive numbers on the scoreboard, the lineup needs to be at its best and, likely at times, more than carry the load.

Without Wander Franco in the lineup, that chore could become a daunting task. After all, the 22-year-old shortstop has done more than his part of late at the plate and in the field. A seven-game hit streak in which he is batting .517 (15-for-29) with three homers, including a walk-off in the ninth inning of Friday’s win over Cleveland at Tropicana Field, is the most recent run of a larger stretch in which he is hitting .411 (23-for-56) with six home runs in 14 games.

Franco’s Gold Glover-caliber defense has at times been downright jaw dropping. He also has 30 stolen bases.

When will Franco, who signed an 11-year, $182-million deal following the 2021 season, have a chance to extend his hit streak to eight? Social media was ablaze Sunday afternoon suggesting Franco engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a minor. The team and MLB are looking into the situation regarding the young star, who was not in the lineup on Wander Franco Snapback Hat Day and was seen leaving the dugout in the fifth inning.

Following the game, Cash said Franco not being in the lineup was nothing more than a day off. The Rays, who are 42-42 since a 29-7 start, flew to San Francisco following Sunday’s 9-2 loss versus Cleveland to begin a three-game series against the Giants on Monday evening. Franco reportedly was not on the flight.

Franco was benched for two games in June. At the time, Cash said, “He’s a young player that is learning and dealing with the challenges of being a major league player and some of the frustrations that come with it.”

Allegations of inappropriate conduct, of course, are a serious matter. Maybe social media made far more of something that did not warrant. Maybe not. We will know more in the coming days as the team and league continue to go about their due diligence.

Should the Rays have to do without Franco for whatever period of time, they could turn to Osleivis Basabe, the organization’s No. 6 prospect (according to MLB Pipeline) who was summoned from Triple-A Durham and was at short in his MLB debut Sunday. Vidal Brujan, currently at Durham, though a familiar face in St. Pete, could also play short.

Taylor Walls, who was flashing Gold Glove leather on a consistent basis while playing second, short and third, would have been the likely candidate to be slotted in at short. However, he has been shelved since July 21 with a left oblique strain and may not return until September. Walls was only hitting .171 since the beginning of June.

Indeed, the Rays have faced and continue to face their share of adversity. The hope is that the latest storm blows out pretty quickly and does not further dampen a season that began in record-breaking fashion.