Tampa Bay Rays Reveal Wander Franco's Injury Status

Wander Franco missed half of his sophomore season in 2022 with quad injuries, so when the quad acted up on Saturday forcing him out of action, red flags were raised. 

Today, the Tampa Bay Rays revealed the MRI results on the face of the franchise, and the news couldn't be better.  

#Rays say MRI on Franco’s quad was “favorable,” and they’re optimistic he could play in Thursday’s opener vs. #Tigers.

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— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 26, 2023

The team called the MRI "favorable" and they even remain optimistic that he could play in the Thursday Season Opener against the Detroit Tigers.

"He will not play Monday, obviously," said manager Kevin Cash, "so we've got three days to treat him. I don't think anything's been decided. We're optimistic that if we can get this thing treated the right way, we should be in a spot where he's good to go (Opening Day).

"Maybe (we'll) get him out there that last day (before the opener) and take batting practice and see how he feels, but I'm pretty optimistic."

With leg problems sidelining him on several occasions through his first two major league seasons, Franco did extensive offseason training on his quads, and had a specific pregame warmup routine, in the hopes of avoiding any issues this year. 

Photo:  Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports