Witt (knee) out of lineup for 5th straight game, feeling 'better every day'
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ST. PETERSBURG -- Bobby Witt Jr.’s right knee injury has still not healed enough for him to start for the Royals.
Witt was not in the club’s starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field, marking the fifth straight game he has been on the bench since suffering a Grade 1 MCL sprain during Thursday’s win over the Cardinals.
Witt has gone through on-field drills while wearing a knee brace before each of the team's first three games against the Rays and said Wednesday that his knee has "been better every day." He also said that he'll be available off the bench if needed.
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Witt was technically available off the bench during Kansas City’s 12-5 victory on Wednesday, but manager Matt Quatraro said it would have taken “an extreme emergency” for him to get into the game.
"We have to understand what the brace is going to do and how he feels," Quatraro said Wednesday. "That communication with Bobby is paramount."
Along with Witt, the Royals have been without first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino for the past 10 days due to a fractured bone in his right hand. The team also placed third baseman Maikel Garcia on the injured list Tuesday due to a left hand muscle strain that has bothered him for about a month.
In spite of those injuries, the Royals’ offense entered Wednesday with the Majors' second-most runs (124) and fifth-best OPS (.810) during the month of June.