Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is back in the lineup for Saturday's contest against the Kansas City Royals. The 22-year-old was benched by manager Kevin Cash for the last two games for immaturity, essentially. Apparently, he learned his lesson so he's back in there on Saturday, starting at shortstop and batting second against Jordan Lyles. Franco is putting together a solid season so far, slashing .287/.349/.455 with eight home runs, 34 RBI, and 24 stolen bases over 286 at-bats.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that shortstop Wander Franco will be benched and is facing a bit of disciplinary action the next two days. It's the reason he was not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Kansas City Royals, and he'll also be out on Friday, so fantasy managers need to act accordingly and remove him from their lineups. The 22-year-old Dominican is one of the best young shortstops in the game, but the Rays haven't been happy with the way he's handled himself of late amidst a slump that has seen him go 7-for-35 (.200) with no homers, two RBI and 10 strikeouts in his last nine games. He's a must-start in fantasy lineups when he's active, but he won't be back until at least Saturday. Taylor Walls is starting at the 6 and batting sixth for Tampa on Thursday against Royals right-hander Jose Cuas.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is getting a day off on Thursday as he looks to recharge his batteries amidst some struggles at the plate of late. The 22-year-old has collected just one hit -- a single -- across his last four games while he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles. Franco also has just one home run since May 9. That being said, it's been a banner year for the youngster, who is hitting .287 with eight homers and an .804 OPS across 72 appearances on the campaign. His 24 steals are third-most in all of baseball while his 3.3 fWAR leads all American Leaguers while sitting behind only Ronald Acuna Jr. and Corbin Carroll overall. Taylor Walls will play shortstop and hit sixth against Royals opener Jose Cuas on Thursday.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is not in the starting lineup ahead of his team's Monday game against the Oakland A's. Franco will start off the game on the bench while Taylor Walls will get the start at shortstop and bat seventh. It appears that Franco is just getting a breather as the Rays open up their early-week series against Oakland. Franco is hitting .299 with eight homers, 41 runs, 32 RBI, and 22 steals across 63 games in 2023.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Monday and is hitting second against Boston Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. Meanwhile, outfielder Randy Arozarena is taking the day off. Franco returned to the lineup on Friday after missing some time last week with a shoulder injury, but he tweaked his hamstring and didn't play Saturday or Sunday. Fantasy managers need to return the 22-year-old All-Star to all of their starting lineups. Arozarena went hitless with three strikeouts in five at-bats on Sunday and is in a bit of a funk at the plate in the last week-plus, so it's a good time to give the 28-year-old some rest. In his absence, Luke Raley is starting in left field and hitting sixth in the lineup against Bello.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) is not in the team's starting lineup on Sunday to face the Boston Red Sox. Franco returned for Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Red Sox on Saturday after dealing with a minor shoulder injury earlier in the week, but he was held out of Game 2 due to left-hamstring soreness. The 22-year-old's new injury is also considered minor, though, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. Hopefully, he'll be able to return for the series finale against Boston on Monday. Taylor Walls will get another start at the 6 on Sunday while hitting eighth against Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck. Walls is hitting .235 (32-for-136) on the year and has seven home runs, 19 RBI and 15 stolen bases as a utility infielder for Tampa.

According to Tampa Bay skipper Kevin Cash, shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) is day-to-day. The 22-year-old was in the lineup on Saturday for the first game of a doubleheader versus the Red Sox, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs. However, he was held out of the second game because of left hamstring soreness and was replaced by Taylor Walls. Considering Franco had been dealing with a shoulder issue, he may be due for a few days off, although fantasy managers will remain optimistic he'll be back in the lineup soon.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (shoulder) is in the starting lineup for Game 1 of a doubleheader on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander Garrett Whitlock. The first game of the series against Boston was postponed on Friday due to inclement weather, so Franco had to wait to make his return for the first time since leaving Tuesday's game with a minor left shoulder injury. The 22-year-old should be completely fine now, although it remains to be seen if he'll play both games of the twin bill on Saturday. He's a must-start in fantasy lineups anytime he's active, so get Franco back in there. He's currently hitting .298 (65-for-218) with seven homers, 29 RBI and 20 stolen bases on the year.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (shoulder) is back in the starting lineup on Friday, batting second against right-hander Garrett Whitlock and the Boston Red Sox. Franco was dealing with some minor left-shoulder discomfort and sat out of the lineup as a precaution on Wednesday, but he's ready to go now after another off day on Thursday. Fantasy managers need to get the star 22-year-old back in all of their starting lineups to kick off the weekend. At a premium position, Franco continues to be a fantasy star and is currently hitting a strong .298 (65-for-218) with 15 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 29 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 35 runs scored in 55 games. He can do it all.

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that shortstop Wander Franco's left shoulder "is a little dinged up" after his slide into home plate on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, which is why he wasn't in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against a left-handed pitcher. Cash said he thinks Franco will be available off the bench on Wednesday, if needed. With an off day on Thursday, fantasy managers should fully expect the 22-year-old to be back in action for the series opener against the Boston Red Sox on Friday. The left-shoulder injury is something to watch, but Franco needs to be in all starting lineups when he's on the field. He's currently hitting .298 on the year with seven homers, 29 RBI, 20 thefts and 35 runs scored in 218 at-bats.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco is not in the starting lineup on Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs. The Rays also have a day off on Thursday, so Franco will get two much-needed days to rest before starting a series on Friday against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Before Wednesday, the 22-year-old had started 12 straight games. Franco will finish the month of May with a .296 average (32-for-108) with three doubles, two triples, two home runs, 12 RBI and two stolen bases in 28 games. He's a must-start in all fantasy leagues when he's playing. Taylor Walls will get the nod at shortstop on Wednesday and will hit eighth in the lineup against Cubs left-hander Justin Steele.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco and infielder Yandy Diaz (groin) are not playing on Thursday against right-hander Tylor Megill and the New York Mets. Franco is getting his first day off this month, while Diaz will take another day off to rest his injured groin. Taylor Walls is starting at the 6 for Franco and is hitting sixth, while Luke Raley is handling first-base duties and is batting seventh in the lineup against Megill. When they are on the field, both Franco and Diaz are must-start fantasy players. Franco is hitting .288 (49-for-170) this year with seven homers, 23 RBI, 14 steals and 26 runs. Meanwhile, Diaz leads the league with a .321 batting average (45-for-140), .429 on-base percentage and 1.021 OPS in 39 games played.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (neck) is back in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the New York Yankees. He returns here after exiting early during Thursday's game due to neck tightness. Luckily, it was a minor issue and Franco is back in the lineup on Friday. He'll bat second and play shortstop in a tough matchup versus right-hander Gerrit Cole. Fantasy managers can go ahead and adjust their lineups with Franco back in the mix.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (neck) said his neck was feeling a little better after some treatment and is hoping to play on Friday against the New York Yankees. Manager Kevin Cash also said it was possible that Franco wouldn't miss any time after he left Thursday's game against the Yanks in the fifth inning due to neck tightness. Before leaving the game, he went 2-for-3 to raise his season average to .318. Even if the 22-year-old doesn't play on Friday, it sounds like he should be able to avoid going on the injured list. Franco is already one of the best fantasy shortstops in the game and entered Thursday's contest hitting .310 (45-for-145) with 14 doubles, seven home runs, 23 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 23 runs scored in 36 games played.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (neck) exited early during Thursday's game against the New York Yankees with neck spasms and tightness. He went 2-for-3 before leaving. Franco was replaced by Isaac Paredes in the fifth inning after feeling neck discomfort during his third at-bat. The 22-year-old will be re-evaluated on Friday and is considered day-to-day. Franco is off to a blistering start this season, slashing .318/.374/.554 with seven home runs, 23 RBI, 23 runs, and 11 stolen bases over 37 games. Paredes would see an uptick in playing if Franco is forced to miss any additional time.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 1-for-3 at the plate, popping a single and a walk. Impressively, he also managed to steal two bases during the game. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, Tampa Bay lost to Baltimore by a tight score of 2-1. Franco has consistently showcased his ability to steal bases throughout the year, successfully converting 11 out of 15 stolen base attempts. Beyond his speed, He has seven home runs, 23 RBI, 12 walks, and 24 strikeouts, Franco has proven to be a formidable force offensively.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco had an impressive game on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, going 2-for-5 at the plate. He hit a single and a solo homer while striking out once. Franco contributed to the team's win by driving in two runs and scoring three times, resulting in an 8-1 victory for the Rays. Franco's season statistics are equally impressive, as he currently boasts a .305 batting average, .369 on-base percentage, and .559 slugging percentage, along with six home runs, 20 RBI, 10 walks, and 21 strikeouts. He has also recorded 12 doubles and has stolen seven bases.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco had another nice offensive game in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Pirates. The 22-year-old went 1-for-3 with a single, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base. He has gotten off to a strong start overall, slashing .301/.368/.540 with five home runs, 18 RBI, and seven stolen bases. Fantasy managers will be happy to see him start delivering on his power/speed potential hitting at the top of a strong lineup.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco got the day off on Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds. Franco should return to the lineup for the team's next game, and he's a must-start in all fantasy formats when he's on the field. The 22-year-old Dominican is off to a fine start in 2023, going .301 (22-for-73) with eight doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI, three stolen bases and 11 runs scored in 80 plate appearances over his first 18 games played. Franco can do it all for his fantasy managers. With Franco sitting on Wednesday, Taylor Walls got the start at shortstop and is in the No. 8 spot in the lineup against Reds rookie right-hander Levi Stoudt.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco was 3-for-5 at the plate Wednesday to top the Red Sox 9-7. He was also productive elsewhere, swiping one bag and driving in two runs. Franco has been on fire the first month of the season, smashing four doubles, two home runs, and stealing three bases. He's slashing .340/.377/.720, and the 22-year-old will be a huge factor in fantasy leagues all season long if he can stay healthy.