Wander Franco was missing from the Rays lineup on Sunday against the Guardians for a routine rest day according to manager Kevin Cash.
Star shortstop Wander Franco didn’t play for the Rays against the Guardians, prompting online speculation from around the internet.
After Tampa Bay suffered a 9-2 loss, manager Kevin Cash spoke to the media about Franco’s absence, describing it as a rest day.
“It was just a day off,” Cash told reporters. “I’m aware of the speculation. I’m not going to comment any further on that but the day off was because the day off.”
Rays Manager Kevin Cash says Wander Franco's day off was just a day off. No other reason for him not playing today. pic.twitter.com/UJfrVRknfY
— David Schiele WTSP (@Deacon_Schiele) August 13, 2023
There isn’t much to glean from Cash’s statement. However, it would have been easy for him to simply say that Franco had a scheduled day off. He didn’t say that.
Why was Wander Franco trending on Twitter during Rays day off?
The speculation Cash referred to there related to alarming social media rumors about Franco. Those rumors have not been confirmed.
UPDATE: The Rays organization has now released a statement concerning the rumors.
“During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco. We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence,” the statement read.
a statement from the Tampa Bay Rays:
— Hannah Keyser (@HannahRKeyser) August 13, 2023
“During today’s game, we were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco. We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence.”
Franco has been one of the hottest hitters in the league over the last few weeks. In his last 14 games, he has 23 hits, 11 RBI and six home runs while slashing .411/.476/.804. It’s an admittedly odd time to schedule an off day for him. Especially on a day with a scheduled giveaway for Wander Franco Snap Back hats.
Franco made his first All-Star appearance at 22 years old this year. He has 17 home runs, a career-best, and an OPS+ of 127. The Rays undoubtedly want him in the lineup as they race the Orioles for first place in the AL East. They were 2.5 games out of first after Sunday’s loss.
They will play next on Monday on the road against the Giants. If Franco makes that road trip, Rays fans will have far less reason for concern after the vague explanations and rumors of the weekend.