After missing two weeks with a hanstring injury, the Tampa Bay Rays will get shortstop phenom Wander Franco back for their series against the Miami Marlins.
The Rays announced Friday afternoon that they have reinstated Franco from the 10-day injured list.
The shortstop last played for the Rays on September 10 in Detroit, when he left the game in the top of the first inning after injuring his hamstring while going from first to third on a Nelson Cruz double against the Tigers. He was placed on the injured list the following day.
Franco, who has reached base safelt in his last 39 consecutive games, currently has a slash line of .285/.347/.463 with seven homers and 22 RBI in 62 games.
To make room on the active roster for Franco, infielder Taylor Walls has been optioned to Triple-A Durham.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
