Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco helped the team defeat the Detroit Tigers 6-1 on Wednesday. He went 1-for-3 with a walk, a run and a stolen base. He is now 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts on the year. Wednesday's steal was his first of the month. The 21-year-old is slashing .272/.297/.429 with four home runs, 16 RBI and 23 runs over 36 games this year. He has some gaudy underlying statistics, including a .327 xBA that ranks in the 97th percentile. He's also been one of the toughest players in the majors to strike out this year with a 9.7% strikeout rate (98th percentile).

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second on Wednesday against Los Angeles Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani. Franco left the game early on Tuesday night in a blowout, and although it appeared that he might have tweaked something in his lower body, the Rays said it was just for rest purposes. The 21-year-old could be dealing with a minor issue, but he's good enough to return to the lineup on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should keep him in all season-long lineups, as the rising star is slashing a strong .317/.341/.508 with an .850 OPS, four home runs, 15 RBI, 20 runs scored and three stolen bases in 29 games. Taylor Walls will draw the start at shortstop and bat eighth against LA.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco left the game early on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels after grounding out in the fourth inning, but the team is saying it wasn't due to an injury. The Rays gave their star shortstop some extra rest after already trailing 8-0 in the game. Franco had been dealing with some minor leg issues recently. Coming into Tuesday's game, Franco had a very nice .322 batting average with four home runs, 15 RBI, 20 runs scored and three stolen bases on a league-high 38 hits over 28 games, and he'll remain a must-start in fantasy leagues as long as he's in the lineup. Fantasy managers should expect the 21-year-old rising superstar to be back in the starting lineup on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) returned to the lineup for his team's Monday night game against the Oakland A's. Franco was scratched from Sunday's game with a tight hamstring but it appears that the move was just preventative and that the hamstring is not a major issue for the young star. Franco is hitting second against Oakland and is a no-brainer start in all fantasy formats. He is hitting .313 with four homers, 14 runs, 13 RBI, and three steals in 2022.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) was scratched from the starting lineup on Sunday against the Minnesota Twins with right hamstring tightness. Manuel Margot, who is serving as the designated hitter, will move up to second in the batting order on Sunday, while Taylor Walls will play shortstop and bat sixth against Twins right-hander Josh Winder. Until we have more information on Franco's injury, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day and make sure to remove him from their lineups on Sunday. The 21-year-old has lived up to the hype so far in 2022, going 26-for-83 with four home runs, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored and three stolen bases in his 20 games played.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco certainly hasn't disappointed out of the gate for his sophomore MLB season. Through 18 games, he's slashing .307/.329/.587 with four home runs, seven doubles, two stolen bases, 12 RBI and 13 runs. While those numbers are no doubt impressive, his underlying statistics are even more eye-popping. He currently has a .362 xBA (99th percentile), a .432 xwOBA (94th percentile) and a .632 xSLG (94th percentile). These expected stats also come alongside a minuscule 10.1% strikeout rate (96th percentile). The 21-year-old looks to be well on his way to an elite offensive season and there's a good chance we'll be talking about him as a mid or even early first round pick next spring.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (quadriceps) is officially back in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Franco was scratched from the lineup for Monday's game as he was hampered by a tight right quadriceps muscle. Luckily, the injury only caused him to miss one game. The 21-year-old has been fantastic at the plate so far this year. Over 10 games, he's slashing .381/.386/.548 with five doubles, one stolen base, five RBI and eight runs scored.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said he expects shortstop Wander Franco (quadriceps) to be in the lineup on Tuesday, but he will check with the young shortstop in the morning. Cash said that Franco was getting ready to pinch hit in the ninth inning on Monday. The 21-year-old was scratched from Monday's game against the Chicago Cubs due to a tight right quadriceps muscle, but the initial diagnosis makes it sound like just a minor injury. Yandy Diaz entered the lineup on Monday, with Taylor Walls taking over at shortstop. Franco is off to an excellent start this year with a league-high 16 hits in 42 at-bats, adding five RBI and eight runs scored in 10 games. Fantasy managers need to check back on his status on Tuesday, but he's a must-start player if he's back in the lineup.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (quad) has been scratched from the starting lineup for Monday's game against Kyle Hendricks and the Chicago Cubs. Taylor Walls will now be covering shortstop for the game. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Franco is dealing with right quad tightness. The 21-year-old should be considered day-to-day until we know more. Franco is off to a great start to his sophomore year. Through 10 games, he's slashing .381/.386/.548 with five doubles, one stolen base, five RBI and eight runs scored.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco helped lead the team to an 8-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. He went 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, two RBI and a run scored in the game. It was his second three-hit game of the year already, however the double was his first extra-base hit and he hadn't attempted a steal before Sunday's game. Franco is now 6-for-11 on the young season. The 21-year-old slashed .288/.347/.463 in his first exposure to the majors last year. He showed great plate discipline in the majors last year, striking out just 12% of the time. He has immense upside and if he can put it all together this year, we may be talking about him as a first round pick next spring.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is having a slow spring so far through 26 Grapefruit League at-bats. He's slashing just .192/.185/.231 with one double, three RBI, and five strikeouts. He was also caught stealing on his lone attempt in nine games. There isn't much to see here with Franco considering how small the sample size is and the fact that he's not fighting for a roster spot. Fantasy managers would still like to see him pick things up over the next few days before the regular season begins on April 7. The 21-year-old put up an impressive .288/.347/.463 batting line to go along with 18 doubles, seven home runs, 39 RBI, and a pair of steals across 281 at-bats after getting called up in late June last season. He's primed for a big season with the defending AL East champions.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco signed a 12-year, $223 million contract extension with the team on Tuesday. Franco won't turn 21 years old until next March. He's that good, folks. This massive deal is the biggest for a player that has yet to play a full season in the big leagues, beating Ronald Acuna Jr.'s eight-year, $100 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. Franco is a five-tool player at a premium position and showed he was the real deal right away in his first 70 games in 2021, hitting .288/.347/.463 with seven home runs, 39 RBI, two stolen bases and 53 runs scored in 308 plate appearances. The Rays continue to sign their best young players to big extensions, as Franco will join the likes of Evan Longoria, Matt Moore, Chris Archer and Brandon Lowe.

The Tampa Bay Rays and shortstop Wander Franco are moving close to a long-term deal. The details of the deal still need to be worked out after Thanksgiving, but this deal is expected to be for more than 10 years with a guarantee close to $200 million. It will be a massive deal for a player just 20 years of age, but Franco quickly showed why he was the top prospect in baseball in 2021. The current record contract for a player with less than one full year of service time is Ronald Acuna Jr.'s eight-year, $100 million contract with the Atlanta Braves. Franco slashed .288/.347/.463 with seven home runs in 70 games in his rookie season in 2021 and is the best young rising star in the game.

The Tampa Bay Rays have reportedly made shortstop Wander Franco a massive extension offer. The contract the team has proposed is said to be worth between $150 and $200 million dollars over the course of at least 10 seasons. In just over two months and 308 plate appearances in the major leagues, Franco has slashed .288/.347/.463 with seven homers, two steals, which is apparently enough of a track record for the Rays to make a substantial investment in the 20-year-old. As things currently stand, Franco would not be arbitration-eligible until after the 2024 season, and he wouldn't be up for free agency until after the 2027 campaign. Franco's representatives are expected to make a counter-offer in the coming days.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Game 4 of the American League Division Series 6-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He took southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez deep in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Rays deficit 5-3. It was his second home run of the postseason. The rookie phenom hit .368 (7-for-19) with two home runs, four RBI, and five runs scored over four games in the ALDS. Franco had an impressive 43-game on-base streak in 2021, and is projected to be a top-25 pick in upcoming fantasy baseball drafts in 2022.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 2-for-6 with a double and a home run in Game 3 of the American League Division Series 6-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He launched his first career postseason home run with a solo shot off Hansel Robles in the eighth inning to reduce the Rays deficit 4-3. The rookie phenom has been impressive in the ALDS, hitting .400 (6-for-15) with a home run, two RBI, and four runs scored over three games. Franco will look to continue his hot hitting in Game 4 of the ALDS on Monday.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 0-for-4 in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros, ending his on-base streak at 43 games. The 20-year-old actually reached base three times, twice through fielder choice's plays, but only an HBP or walk counts for streak purposes. At first, he was called safe at a play at first base, which would have resulted in an infield single, but the call was quickly reversed. Franco's 43-game streak started July 25th and matched Hall of Famer Frank Robinson's run in 1956 for players 20 and under. Despite the streak end, the rookie phenom has had a terrific 2021 campaign. Franco is slashing .286/.348/.470 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, 51 runs scored, 24 walks, and two stolen bases over 293 plate appearances.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and two runs scored in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins. He extended his on-base streak to 41 games and continues his impressive rookie campaign. The 20-year-old returned to the lineup Friday after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury. Franco is slashing .287/.350/.476 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, 51 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 280 plate appearances in 2021. Fantasy managers should continue to start Franco as he emerges as one of the top players in the game.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco isn't starting on Saturday. The Rays will take on the Miami Marlins and right-hander Sandy Alcantara but will do so with one of their best hitters on the bench. Franco is hitting .284 with a .348 on-base percentage, seven home runs, and a pair of stolen bases in 276 plate appearances this season. Joey Wendle is moving to shortstop to start in Franco's place on Saturday. The veteran is batting fifth but is probably only worth a look as a streaming option in deeper leagues. In 478 plate appearances this season, Wendle is batting .272 with a .326 on-base percentage, 11 home runs, and seven stolen bases.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) has been activated from the 10-day injured list and will bat second on Friday in an interleague matchup against the Miami Marlins. The 20-year-old rookie has been sidelined since September 10 because of a strained right hamstring but is ready to return after a successful rehab stint. Fantasy managers are no doubt happy to have Franco back in the lineup, given he was slashing .367/.424/.633 for the month of September prior to being injured.