SerpApi.Org
For the first time in his five-year major league career, Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. is heading to the injured list.
The royals placed their 26-year-old franchise cornerstone on the 10-day-IL Wednesday due to persistent lower back tightness, retroactive to Tuesday, July 21. After sitting out Sunday’s game against the San Diego Padres, Witt tried to power through the issue on Monday against the San Francisco Giants but was forced to exit early with lingering back spasms.
“The type of way I play, I couldn’t be myself out there,” Witt told reporters. “I couldn’t even be 50% of myself.”
The Impact on the Royals’ Season
While the 42-60 Royals have struggled to contend in an overall weak American League Central, Witt was quietly having another elite campaign. The three-time All-Star and former batting champion leads the AL with 4.9 bWAR and is slashing .279/.350/.450 with a 126 OPS+ and 30 stolen bases, per Baseball Reference. In addition to his above average hitting, he put up an elite 19 Outs Above Average, the most in the Major Leagues according to Baseball Savant.
With Witt sidelined and the August 3 trade deadline fast approaching, Kansas City’s status as a deadline seller is nearly sealed. In a corresponding roster move, the Royals called up veteran infielder Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Omaha to share shortstop duties with Tyler Tolbert while their superstar heals.
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