Major League Baseball

Rays' Wander Franco benched by Kevin Cash ahead of Thursday's game

Published Jun. 22, 2023 5:17 p.m. ET

Wander Franco will not be in the lineup on Thursday for the Tampa Bay Rays as they face off against the Kansas City Royals at 6:40 p.m. ET, according to Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Rays manager Kevin Cash is benching the shortstop through Friday due to the way he handles his frustrations, and for not being a better teammate.

"Over the course of this season, there's been probably multiple times that the way he has handled his frustrations have not been the way that we ask our players to uphold being the best teammate," Cash told reporters.

Cash believes Franco "is a good kid" and said the organization would work with him to improve.

Franco currently has a .287 batting average with 34 RBIs and eight home runs on the season. His frustration with his game has been visible on the field (not running out ground balls; throwing his bat after a strike-out; declining to talk to reporters), and it may have trickled into the clubhouse based on Cash's decision.

"Wander is a really good kid, really good person," Cash said. "He's a young player that is learning and dealing with the challenges of being a major league player and some of the frustrations that come with it."

Taylor Walls will replace Franco as starting shortstop on Thursday, and most likely on Friday as well.