6:20 PM UTC
Franco was slated to bat second, playing shortstop, in the Rays’ Saturday afternoon matchup against the Royals at Tropicana Field. Speaking to reporters before the game, Franco said he was happy to be back but acknowledged his absence was “really hard.”
“I think they’re doing a good job in the way they’ve controlled the situation,” Franco said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “I’ve been with this organization for a long time, and I think they controlled the situation well with the errors that I’ve made.”
He sat out Tampa Bay’s 6-5 loss on Thursday night and 11-3 win on Friday night, although he was back in the home dugout during Friday’s game.
Manager Kevin Cash said Thursday that the 22-year-old star is “a really good kid, really good person” but also “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.
“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.”
The Rays maintained that Franco’s discipline was not the result of one specific incident, but rather a series of them. The switch-hitting star has occasionally lacked hustle on the bases and in the field, and he’s slammed his equipment on the field and reacted angrily in the dugout after results he didn’t like at the plate. He also got into at least one argument with a teammate, as he and Randy Arozarena exchanged words in the dugout last month.
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