It’s crunch time for the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2022 MLB season and they sure could benefit from a healthy Wander Franco. Rays backers and fantasy baseball owners are currently asking when will Wander Franco return and be back in the Tampa Bay lineup. Here we will look at a timetable for the shortstop’s potential return.
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When will Wander Franco return and be back for the Rays?
Baseball bettors are wondering when will Wander Franco return and be back for the Rays. The shortstop went down with a right wrist injury on July 9 and the initial timetable for his return was 5-8 weeks post-surgery. Franco underwent surgery on his hamate bone on July 12. Here are potential return dates using that initial time line.
- 5 Weeks: August 16
- 6 Weeks: August 23
- 7 Weeks: August 30
- 8 Weeks: September 5
Franco is making solid progress in his rehab, so a mid to late August return shouldn’t be ruled out despite most teams using extreme caution with these types of injuries. Rays sideline reporter Tricia Whitaker posted this video of Franco working out at Tropicana Field on July 27, less than three weeks after surgery. Tampa manager Kevin Cash told Whitaker that Franco was “just taking ground balls, keeping his legs active” and that he “can’t take the splint off and is not supposed to be gripping anything.”
Rays odds
The Rays are scratching and clawing for an American League Wild Card spot with two months remaining in the regular season. Tampa was a half game out of the final spot, behind the Seattle Mariners, on Aug. 5. Cash’s crew owned +4000 odds to win the World Series at DraftKings Sportsbook on that date and had -135 odds to make the MLB Playoffs.
Below are Tampa Bay Rays odds and more.
