Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) is nearing a return to the team. According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, he is likely to be activated from the injured list either on Friday or Saturday. The 20-year-old rookie reportedly looked good in his rehab game at Triple-A on Thursday. He walked twice in the game and scored a run. Franco has been out since September 10 due to a strained right hamstring. He was really heating up before the injury, slashing .367/.424/.633 over his first eight games in September. Fantasy managers can expect to have him back in their lineups soon.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) could be activated off the injured list at some point over the team's current 10-game homestand. Manager Kevin Cash told the media he hasn't ruled out activating Franco on his first day of eligibility next Tuesday, but that he also thinks that would be too soon. The 20-year-old rookie has found his groove at the big-league level, slashing .285/.347/.463 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, two stolen bases, and 49 runs scored on 70 hits. Fantasy managers should keep an eye out for updates as the homestand progresses.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) is progressing well in his initial rehab, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash. Franco was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain on Saturday. Cash told reporters on Tuesday that the team's medical coordinator is happy with Franco's progress. The plan, according to Cash, is for Franco to hit off a tee on Wednesday and then get onto the field for workouts over the weekend. The 20-year-old rookie is first eligible to come off of the injured list on September 21. After a slow start to his MLB career, Franco settled in over the past month or so. He's slashed .285/.347/.463 with seven home runs, 36 RBI and 49 runs over 62 games on the year.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco (hamstring) was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday. He exited Friday's 10-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers with hamstring tightness. The rookie phenom will undergo an MRI on Saturday but is expected to miss the next 2-to-3 weeks at the minimum; hopefully, he can return by the end of the season. Franco is slashing .285/.347/.463 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, 49 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 271 plate appearances in 2021. Shortstop Taylor Walls was recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Walls struggled in his previous stint in majors, slashing .203/.301/.305 in 147 plate appearances. The 25-year-old is a speculative add in deep-league formats.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco (hamstring) is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list, per manager Kevin Cash. The rookie phenom exited Friday's loss to the Detroit Tigers with right hamstring tightness. "I don't see a situation where he avoids the IL; highly likely that will happen." "Hope we caught it early enough, though," said Cash. He went 1-for-1 to extend his on-base streak to 39 games before exiting. This comes at a terrible time for Franco, who hit .367 (11-for-30) with three home runs over eight games in September. Joey Wendle and Yandy Diaz should see an uptick in playing time while Franco is sidelined. Stay tuned for more updates.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (hamstring) exited Friday's game due to right hamstring tightness, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Franco had singled in his first plate appearance to extend his on-base streak to 39 games, but he was soon replaced by pinch runner Joey Wendle. Managers should consider Franco day to day for the time being, and check for updates on his condition after the game.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 4-for-6 with a triple during Monday's 11-10 over the Boston Red Sox. He logged his first career four-hit game and extended his on-base streak to 36 games on Monday. The rookie phenom is on fire in September, hitting .455 (10-for-22) with a home run and three RBI over five games. He continues to produce for fantasy managers and should post good numbers the rest of the season. Overall, Franco is slashing .290/.349/.475 with seven home runs, 36 RBI, 48 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 261 plate appearances in 2021.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (head) is in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Franco missed Friday's game after exiting the game before with a headache. The young phenom has been productive in 56 games since his call-up, slashing .275/.339/.455 with seven home runs and two stolen bases, and is in the midst of a 33-game on-base streak. It's good for fantasy managers to see him back on the field, and he should continue putting up good numbers for the rest of the season.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco (head) is not in the lineup Friday against the visiting Minnesota Twins. The 20-year-old rookie exited Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox due to a headache. Franco is only expected to miss a game or two, though, which is good news for fantasy managers. Fellow rookie Taylor Wall will pencil in at shortstop and bat ninth, but managers should avoid the 25-year-old switch-hitter as he only has one hit in his last 18 at-bats.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco (head) exited Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox early due to a headache. He went 0-for-2 with a walk before exiting, extending his on-base streak to 33 games. Joey Wendle replaced Franco in the seventh inning. According to manager Kevin Cash, the rookie phenom will be monitored for concussion symptoms. Franco has no history of migraines, and the headache was traced to a slide at home plate in Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Boston. He is considered day-to-day for now. Franco is slashing .275/.339/.455 with seven home runs, 35 RBI, 43 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 245 plate appearances in 2021.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run during Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox. He blasted a two-run shot off Chris Sale in the third inning for the Rays only offense of the game. It was his seventh long ball of the season. The rookie phenom extended his on-base streak to 32 on Wednesday. Franco is hitting .320 (40-for-125) with four home runs, 25 RBI, and 12 walks during the streak. Overall, he is slashing .277/.339/.459 with a .798 OPS across 242 plate appearances in 2021. Franco continues to rake down the stretch and remains a strong option in all league formats.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 1-for-5 with a two-run single during Monday's 6-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. He roped a two-run single to left field in the eighth inning to give the Rays a 6-1 lead. Franco extended his on-base streak to 30 games on Monday. The rookie phenom has been locked in at the plate since the All-Star Break, slashing .303/.363/.487 with four home runs, 25 RBI, 33 runs scored over 168 plate appearances. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Franco as he emerges as one of the top players in the game.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored during Wednesday's 7-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. He now has 21 extra-base hits on the season. The rookie phenom is having a monster August and has seen his batting average jump from .250 to .274 over 20 games during the month. Overall, he is slashing .274/.333/.457 with six home runs, 29 RBI, 38 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 216 plate appearances in 2021. The 20-year-old is on a nine-game hitting streak, hitting .432 (16-for-37) with a home run and seven RBI. Franco remains a strong option and is quickly emerging as a top-5 fantasy shortstop this season.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 2-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI, and three runs scored during Sunday's 9-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. He blasted an RBI double in the third inning to plate Yandy Diaz to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. The rookie phenom added another double and crossed the plate three times in Sunday's win. Franco has been on a tear over his last seven games, hitting .429 (11-for-28) with a home run and seven RBI. The 20-year-old is locked in at the plate, and fantasy managers should roll with Franco for the stretch run.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run home run during Sunday's 5-4 win over the Twins. He blasted a two-run shot to deep right field in the top of the sixth inning to cut the Rays deficit 4-3. The rookie phenom is starting to heat up and has now homered three times over his last eight games. Franco is slashing .244/.306/.427 with six home runs, 24 RBI, 25 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 41 games in 2021. The 24-year-old continues to produce this season and is quickly emerging as one of the top shortstops in the game.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 8-1 win over the Boston Red Sox. He took Tanner Houck deep in the sixth inning to give the Rays a 3-1 lead. It was his fifth home run of the season. The Rays rookie phenom has recorded a hit in three straight contests and is hitting .250 (9-for-36) with two home runs and eight RBI over nine games in August. Franco has now reached base safely in 16 straight contests. The 20-year-old is slashing .242/.304/.405 with five home runs, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored, two stolen bases, and a .709 OPS across 168 plate appearances in 2021. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Franco as he emerges as one of the shortstops in the game.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during Saturday's 12-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The rookie phenom took Orioles reliever Cesar Valdez deep in the eighth inning for the Rays fourth home run of the game. He's starting to heat up in August, hitting .300 (6-for-20) with a home run, three RBI, and three runs scored across five games during the month. Franco is slashing .248/.302/.409 with four home runs, 17 RBI, 19 runs scored, and two stolen bases over 149 plate appearances in 2021. The 20-year-old is adjusting to major league pitching and has seen his OPS increase from .622 in mid-July to .711. Fantasy managers should continue to start Franco as he emerges as one of the top shortstops in the game.

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Wander Franco went 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI, and a run scored during Saturday's 9-5 win over the Red Sox. The rookie phenom hit an RBI triple in the sixth inning to give the Rays a 6-5 lead. He later tacked on an RBI single in the eighth frame for his 14th RBI of the season. Franco is making consistent contact and is starting to adjust to major-league pitching. The 20-year-old has now recorded four multi-hit efforts over his last nine games. Franco is slashing .239/.297/.402 with three home runs, 14 RBI, 16 runs scored, and two stolen bases across 128 plate appearances in 2021.