Witt day to day with back tightness after injury returns following day off

KANSAS CITY -- A day after missing a game due to back tightness, Bobby Witt Jr. exited Monday night’s 4-3 win over the Giants in the top of the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium with low back tightness.

Witt played the first four innings Monday and recorded two plate appearances, striking out looking in the first inning and working a walk in the third inning. He would have been due up first in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Nick Loftin jogged out to shortstop for the top of the frame instead.

“His back tightened up pretty well there early in the game,” manager Matt Quatraro said of Witt. “So we’re getting him evaluated tonight and see how he feels.”

Quatraro said it wasn’t on a specific play that Witt felt the tightness, more just a progression throughout the early part of the game that necessitated his exit. It sounds like the Royals won’t know exactly what the next steps are for Witt until they see how he feels on Tuesday morning and likely throughout the day.

After missing Sunday’s game, Witt informed the Royals around midday Monday that he was feeling good enough to play and that the tightness he was experiencing is something that he’s played through before. Once he got to the field and received the all-clear from the medical staff, Witt was slotted back into the lineup in his usual spot, hitting second and playing shortstop.

“We talked a lot about it,” Quatraro said. “He feels like this is something he’s managed before, and he can do that again.”

Witt has played through some back tightness before in his career. He also has battled right knee injuries this season, including a Grade 1 MCL sprain at the end of June.

While the Royals always want Witt in the lineup, Loftin was able to come through in his spot in the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off safety squeeze that scored Josh Rojas from third base and gave the Royals their third win in four games since the All-Star break.