Bobby Witt Jr. leaves game with low back spasms

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. left Friday night’s game against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning due to low back spasms.

The shortstop made two defensive plays, on ground balls, in the top half of the sixth inning, then exited before the Royals took the field in the seventh.

“(It happened) sometime in that inning before we took him out,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He talked to (Royals head athletic trainer Kyle Turner). As he sat there, it got worse.”

With the Royals leading 2-1, Witt was replaced in the lineup by Nick Loftin, playing third base while Maikel Garcia shifted to shortstop.

Quatraro offered no prognosis on Witt’s return.

“Right now we just think it’s back spasms, low back spasms,” Quatraro said. “It locked up pretty good on him.”

Witt was hitless in three at-bats with one strikeout.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb