OAKLAND, Calif. — Wander Franco is not feeling good.
As the 21-year-old star plays his way through his first full major-league season, he and his Rays bosses are working to get a better understanding of how hard he plays, how often he needs rest and how best to deal with leg-muscle issues that have sidelined him twice in the first 22 games — most recently on Sunday — starting with daily communication.
“We all are working hard, and so is Wander,” manager Kevin Cash said before Tuesday’s game. “We’ll stay at it daily with him. And hopefully he gets to a point, which I know he will, where he’s managing himself.
“But he’s just in a little bit of a funk right now. Just his lower half is not feeling good. I think a lot can be attributed to, No. 1, how hard he plays, and then coming off a (nine)-game stretch (on the Tropicana Field turf).”
The primary challenge is determining when to give Franco rest to prevent him from sustaining a more serious injury that could sideline him for an extensive period of time. He, like most 21-year-olds, wants to play every day, so there has to be something of an education process.
“I think we all have to learn,” Cash said. “So, yeah, I think he does. I do. Even the veteran guys have to learn. Your body sometimes tells you things that you don’t want to hear. And you have to be responsive and respectful of that.
“Wander has been fortunate throughout his career where he just has not missed much time. And we’re going to do everything we can to avoid that from happening at this level.”
At this point, Cash said, the Rays don’t plan to go as far as scheduling days off for Franco, their best all-around player, but rather being more communicative and reactive.
“We’ll take it day to day and have conversations,” Cash said. “So far, he’s not a guy that has shown like he’s really willing to come out of the lineup. But you’d probably rather that than not. So just ask for him to be honest, which he has been very much so.”
Part of that process is also telling Franco to not run hard at all times, such as when he grounds into routine outs, a plan he doesn’t particularly like or want to follow. That was evident again in the first inning Tuesday, when he ran through third-base coach Rodney Linares’ stop sign to score from first on Brandon Lowe’s double. Linares stopped Franco on his way out of the dugout to talk about the situation.
Cash suggested that playing on the Trop turf could be a contributing factor to the muscle tightness; Franco wasn’t sure but said, via team interpreter Manny Navarro, “I would think just the general consecutive games played also would have something to do with it.”
Columnist John Romano will send the latest Rays insights and analysis to keep you updated weekly during the season.
Sanders placed on IL
Reliever Phoenix Sanders, a USF product, landed on the 15-day injured list after his back spasmed and tightened up after he fielded a bunt and attempted a jump throw Monday. “I tried to Derek Jeter that thing over to first; it was kind of just a little bit of wet conditions and my right foot gave out,” Sanders said. “The best way I could describe it is my body was going one way, energy was going another way, and it just seemed like it locked up kind of in the middle there.”
Sanders may have been headed to Triple-A, anyway, as the Rays needed a roster spot to activate Ryan Yarbrough to start Tuesday. But Sanders was frustrated to be sidelined after finally reaching the majors. “It’s just kind of a really crappy situation,” he said. “Body has been feeling good, arm’s been feeling good, (I was) getting comfortable. But it’s just kind of one of those things that you kind of can’t control.”
Injured-list stints for pitchers are now 15 days instead of 10, part of the rule changes that were to go into effect this season but were delayed until May 2 to compensate for the abbreviated spring. Position player injured list stints are still 10 days.
Miscellany
Francisco Mejia, who cleared COVID-19 protocols over the weekend, had a good day catching with the extended spring team in Port Charlotte, and Cash said he will meet the team in Seattle. … Yandy Diaz batted leadoff again Tuesday and will get more time there. … Franco is among several star big-leaguers featured in a new line of digital collectibles (NFTs) from Metabilia being released Wednesday at 3 p.m. via the DraftKings Marketplace.
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