Wander leaves winter team with sore shoulder

Baseball’s top prospect is headed back to the States after injuring his shoulder in the Dominican Winter League.

Wander Franco, the Rays’ star youngster and MLB Pipeline's No. 1 overall prospect, left the Leones Del Escogido this week to return to Tampa Bay for tests, the team announced Wednesday.

#NotasRojas Wander Franco viajará a Estados Unidos para ser revisado por los Rays de Tampa Bay, luego de realizarse una resonancia magnética. Una vez allá, su organización decidirá sobre la continuidad del campocorto en el campeonato.

— Escogido Baseball (@EscogidoBBClub) November 25, 2020

After Franco was scratched from the lineup last weekend, Leones manager Dave Jauss told reporters the injury was “a day-to-day type of a situation” and that the club wasn’t sure how it occurred.

“He came up with the sore shoulder,” Jauss said. “He thought initially it was because of sleeping on it. It might’ve been from the last play made two nights ago in the ninth inning. It’s precautionary. Even in a 30-game season, we want to make sure that the players have the best opportunity to be healthy, develop and be ready … for our club at the end of the season, and their clubs next year.”

Franco has hit safely in all five games he's played for Escogido, putting up a .350/.435/.500 slash line line with a homer and two RBIs in 23 trips to the plate.

Baseball's No. 1️⃣ overall prospect Wander Franco of the #Rays has his 1️⃣st home run of the Dominican Winter League season for Escogido. pic.twitter.com/4DPleyAJvq

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) November 18, 2020

Signed by the Rays in July 2017, Franco was named Appalachian League Player of the Year the following summer after hitting .351 with 11 homers, 57 RBIs and 46 runs scored in 46 games at the age of 17.

He started last season with Class A Bowling Green and batted .318/.390/.506 with six dingers in 62 games, earning a promotion to Class A Advanced Charlotte. In the notoriously pitcher-friendly Florida State League, Franco posted a .339/.408/.464 line and went deep three times in 52 games. He was part of Tampa Bay's player pool this year but never appeared in The Show.