MINNEAPOLIS – An achy knee that kept progressing throughout Sunday’s game was ultimately enough for Bobby Witt Jr. to have to exit in the seventh inning of the Royals’ eventual 6-5 win over the Twins, but he and the Royals are optimistic that it isn’t an injury that will have the All-Star shortstop down for long.
Witt said he felt aching in his knee throughout Sunday morning, but it’s something he’s handled before and knew there was Monday’s team off-day coming up that would get him some rest. As the game played out, though, the pressure didn’t wear off.
“I’m all right,” Witt said. “It was just aching all this morning. Thought I could get through today. Just kind of felt the pressure throughout [the game]. It was on my mind as I played. One of those games where I probably should have said something, but I’ll be able to have the off-day tomorrow. I’ve dealt with it before.”
Witt struck out three times in four at-bats Sunday and made an uncharacteristic error in the field, which led to Royals starter Noah Cameron’s one unearned run in the second inning.
In the third inning, Witt saw nine pitches against Twins lefty Connor Prielipp, a lengthy at-bat that might have aggravated the knee a little more.
“The only thing he said was that long at-bat, which was in the [third], he started to feel it more because it’s his right knee, and as he was loading, kept taking swing after swing, he started to feel it more at that point,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “... Nothing acute, no onset, just kind of a usage [thing]. Feels like it got progressively worse during the game.”
The Royals don’t believe anything is wrong structurally with Witt’s knee, but he mentioned he might get imaging done when the team gets back to Kansas City so he’s able to get some clarity with what he might be dealing with now.
Witt will continue to be evaluated Monday and Tuesday, with the hope that resting during the off-day Monday will have him ready to go on Tuesday against the Rangers at Kauffman Stadium.
Witt, who usually takes the field no matter what he might be playing through, has started all 66 games the Royals have played this season and has a .280/.354/.456 slash line with nine homers and 23 stolen bases, which are tied with José Ramírez and Nasim Nuñez for the most in MLB.