KANSAS CITY -- After missing Bobby Witt Jr. for 11 games, the Royals got to write their shortstop’s name in the lineup again Tuesday when they activated Witt off the injured list ahead of their 8-2 win over the Twins at Kauffman Stadium.
Witt looked like he hadn’t missed a beat, going 3-for-5 with a two-run double and two runs scored.
Witt had been on the IL since July 22 (retroactive to July 21) with low back tightness, the first IL stint of his career. But he’s feeling better now and has been ramping up baseball activity for the last week to make sure he doesn’t feel limited on the field. The 26-year-old ranks third in the American League in FanGraphs WAR with 4.8, having hit .279 with 13 homers and an AL-leading 30 steals through 94 games.
“Any time I’m on the field, I’m not going to limit myself at all,” Witt said. “... Any time I’m not playing, it’s tough. Always trying to get back as quickly as possible. Very excited to be back.”
The Royals will monitor Witt’s workload as he gets back on the field; if he has a high-volume game with a lot of running, they might have him DH or sit the next day. But his schedule will be on a game-by-game basis.
In a corresponding move, the Royals designated infielder Andrew Velazquez for assignment after he had filled in for Witt, recording one hit in 15 at-bats.
The Royals also on Tuesday designated reliever Matt Strahm for assignment and recalled Jose Cuas to shake up the bullpen. The 32-year-old Cuas returns to the bigs for his third stint this season and has a 2.84 ERA across his first five outings with the Royals this year.
Kansas City tried to trade Strahm before Monday’s Trade Deadline, but there was little interest in taking on the 34-year-old lefty after an extremely poor season in which Strahm posted a 7.32 ERA in 41 outings, surrendering 12 home runs in 35 2/3 innings. After striking out batters at a 27.3% clip last year with the Phillies, Strahm’s strikeout rate plummeted to 18.6% this year. A free agent this offseason, Strahm is making $7.5 million this season.
The Royals acquired Strahm from the Phillies in December to boost their bullpen with one of the best high-leverage lefties in the game over the past few years. While the Royals kept trying to get him right and back performing in high-leverage spots, he continually struggled. And with the Royals trying to revamp their bullpen for next season, they needed to create space for new relievers to get opportunities as the season winds down.
“Just hasn’t worked out well for him or for us,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “The performance and where we are in the season, trying to get a look at some other guys, we just felt like this was the right time.”