Witt (back) has begun ramping up his baseball activity, and how he responds over the next few days will determine whether he's activated from the injured list when first eligible Friday, per MLB.com.
Witt landed on the injured list for the first time in his big-league career July 22 due to tightness in his lower back. Early indications suggested there wasn't any cause for concern over a long-term absence, and the star shortstop remains on track to avoid a lengthy stay on the IL if he responds well to the increase in his baseball activity. In 94 games this season, Witt is slashing .279/.350/.450 with 13 homers, 39 RBI, 51 runs and 30 stolen bases.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Heads to IL with back tightness
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The Royals placed Witt on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to low back tightness.
The durable Witt will go on the IL for the first time in his five-year career in the majors after he was held out of the lineup for Sunday's loss to the Padres due to the back issue and then aggravated the injury while returning to the starting nine for Monday's win over the Giants. The Royals haven't indicated that Witt's injury is any sort of long-term concern, so if he responds well to a week and a half of rest, he could be ready to come off the shelf when first eligible July 31. Tyler Tolbert and Andrew Velazquez are likely to share time at shortstop while Witt is out.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Back feeling 'pretty stiff'
Rotowire
Manager Matt Quatraro said that Witt, who is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Giants, is still feeling "pretty stiff" as he continues to manage back spasms and tightness, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.
The All-Star shortstop returned to the lineup Monday after missing one game due to lower-back tightness, but he was unable to finish the contest. Witt should be considered day-to-day for now, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Royals opt to give him a couple days off to recover since the injury is lingering. Tyler Tolbert is picking up a start at shortstop Tuesday for Kansas City.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Held out of Tuesday's lineup
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Witt (back) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest versus the Giants.
Witt returned to the lineup Monday after a one-game absence due to lower-back tightness, but he had to be pulled mid-game after aggravating the injury. There are no indications at this point that Witt might need a trip to the injured list, so for now he should be considered day-to-day. Tyler Tolbert is playing shortstop and batting ninth for the Royals on Tuesday.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Still nursing back issue
Rotowire
Witt left Monday's game against the Giants due to low back tightness, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.
This report confirms that Witt is still dealing with the same back tightness that kept him out of Sunday's matchup. The club will presumably re-evaluate Witt in the morning to determine his availability moving forward.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Back in action Monday
Rotowire
Witt (back) will start at shortstop and bat second in Monday's game against the Giants.
The All-Star shortstop was held out of the starting nine for Sunday's 19-2 loss to the Padres due to general back tightness, though manager Matt Quatraro emphasized that Witt was merely kept on the bench as a precaution. Witt's back has apparently responded well to the day of rest, and he should be available for the entirety of the Royals' seven-game week, barring an aggravation of the injury.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Records 30th steal Sunday
Rotowire
Witt went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a steal and a walk in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Phillies.
Witt didn't drive in any runs but still made an impact offensively, reaching base three times and scoring twice. After drawing a walk in the eighth inning, the speedy shortstop swiped second base for his 30th stolen base of the season. Only Nasim Nunez (32) has more stolen bases than Witt this season. Since re-entering the lineup after dealing with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, the 26-year-old is slashing .241/.303/.483 with two homers, four RBI, six runs and two stolen bases across eight games.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Out of lineup again Thursday
Rotowire
Witt (knee) remains out of the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Rays.
Witt will miss a sixth consecutive start as he deals with a Grade 1 MCL sprain of his right knee. He has been available off the bench the last couple days, so Witt does appear likely to avoid a trip to the injured list. His next opportunity to return to the Royals' lineup will come Friday in Chicago against the division-leading White Sox.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Remaining out of lineup
Rotowire
Witt (knee) remains out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Rays.
Witt went through a full pregame workout Monday, and the Royals remain optimistic he can avoid the injured list, but he will miss a fourth straight start with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee. According to Brian Murphy of MLB.com, manager Matt Quatraro expects Witt to be available off the bench Tuesday. Tyler Tolbert is starting at shortstop for Kansas City on Tuesday.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Remaining sidelined Monday
Rotowire
Witt (knee) remains out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.
Witt hasn't played since exiting last Thursday's contest against the Cardinals due to a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee. The Royals have seemed optimistic to this point that Witt could avoid a stint on the injured list, but the time to make a decision one way or another is likely coming soon. Maikel Garcia will shift over to shortstop again Monday, while Nick Loftin will grab the start at third base.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Remaining out of starting nine
Rotowire
Witt (knee) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
A team off day Saturday didn't provide sufficient time for Witt to fully heal from a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, prompting the Royals to keep him on the bench for a second straight game. Maikel Garcia will step in at shortstop in place of Witt, who will be re-evaluated Sunday and could still avoid a stint on the injured list.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Held out of Friday's lineup
Rotowire
WItt (knee) is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.
Witt departed Thursday's game against the Cardinals with an apparent knee issue after his right leg twisted under him on a sliding attempt at shortstop, and he'll sit for at least one game. A rare team day off Saturday will provide the All-Star shortstop two straight days of rest heading into Sunday's series finale.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: On base four times Tuesday
Rotowire
Witt went 3-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Nationals.
The star shortstop stayed ahead of Nasim Nunez in the other dugout to keep hold of the major-league steals lead with 27. Witt has three multi-hit effort in the last four games, and through 15 contests in June he's slashing .305/.414/.373 with four doubles, zero homers, three RBI, 10 runs and 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Swipes two bases Sunday
Rotowire
Witt went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two steals in Sunday's 4-0 victory over Houston.
Witt's activity on the bases continued Sunday, as he recorded his ninth steal of the month and third multi-steal effort of the campaign to boost his season total to 26 stolen bases. The star shortstop is currently riding a modest five-game hitting streak, during which he has gone 9-for-22 (.409) with two doubles, an RBI and three runs scored. Overall, Witt is hitting .287/.358/.455 with nine homers, 19 doubles, a triple, 28 RBI and 36 runs scored across 72 games this year.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Dealing with right knee injury
Rotowire
Witt was removed from Sunday's game against Minnesota due to right knee soreness.
It's unclear when the injury cropped up, but Witt was taken out of the game in the seventh inning and was replaced by Michael Massey. Witt went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts prior to his exit, and he'll undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury. The Royals have an off day Monday, so the 25-year-old shortstop will aim to be available for Tuesday's home game against the Rangers.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Tallies 20th steal in win
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Witt went 1-for-4 with a run scored, a stolen base and a walk in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Cincinnati.
Witt wasn't a major factor with the bat in Kansas City's win, though he was able to swipe his 20th base of the season, making him one of four players in MLB to reach the mark this year. The shortstop has been particularly active on the bases of late, tallying five steals across the past four contests. It's been a stellar season for the young star, who's slashing .283/.356/.467 with 26 extra-base hits (nine home runs), 26 RBI, 31 runs and an MLB-best 3.7 fWAR among position players through 62 games.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Makes things interesting Wednesday
Rotowire
Witt went 1-for-3 with two walks and a two-run home run during the Royals' 6-5 loss to the White Sox on Wednesday.
The Royals were down 6-3 heading into the ninth inning, but Witt made the White Sox fans nervous after smacking a two-run homer off Seranthony Dominguez. It was the seventh home run of the season for Witt, four of which have come over his last nine games. He's quickly rebounded from a slow start to the campaign and is slashing .306/.378/.506 with 12 steals, 22 RBI and 22 runs scored across 193 plate appearances this season.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Goes yard in loss
Rotowire
Witt went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-5 loss to the White Sox.
Witt opened the scoring early, drilling an opposite-field solo homer in the first inning off Erick Fedde. The shortstop got off to a slow start by his lofty standards but has kicked things into gear of late, posting a 1.040 OPS with four homers, two doubles, five RBI, 10 runs and two stolen bases across 11 games in May. The 25-year-old's overall numbers are now beginning to resemble those of a star once again, as he's slashing .305/.372/.491 with six homers, 11 doubles, a triple, 20 RBI, 20 runs and 12 stolen bases across 42 contests.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Homers in four-hit game
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Witt went 4-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Thursday's 8-5 loss to Cleveland.
Witt is heating up following a sluggish start to the campaign. He has at least one knock in 16 of his last 18 games, during which Witt is batting .333 with 10 extra-base hits, nine RBI and five stolen bases over 75 at-bats to raise his OPS to .825 for the year. Thursday's four-hit game was the All-Star shortstop's first of the season, as well.
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Royals' Bobby Witt: Belts game-winning three-run homer
Rotowire
Witt went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run and a stolen base in a 4-1 extra-inning win over the Athletics on Tuesday.
Witt was 0-for-4 when he came up to the plate with a pair of runners on base in the top of the 10th frame, and he cleared the bases with a three-run blast to right-center field. The long ball was his second in his past two games after he began the campaign going homerless over his first 27 contests. The power had been the primary thing preventing Witt from meeting fantasy managers' expectations, as he's slashing .289/.362/.439 with 10 stolen bases and 15 RBI through 29 games. If he indeed has his power stroke back, Witt could very well end up a top-10 fantasy asset by the end of the campaign.
