ST. PETERSBURG — Star shortstop Wander Franco returned to active duty with the Rays Saturday, saying he will work on better controlling his emotions, which led to a two-game, disciplinary benching.
“I think it’s a situation that in God’s hands can be controlled,” Franco said via team interpreter Manny Navarro. “In my opinion, I think I’ve just got to be able to control the situations, because I know they’re my problem.”
Franco, 22, said it was “really hard” to be forced to sit out two games, then showed it by hitting a home run in his first at-bat against the Royals and singling in a run in his second as part of a 2-for-4 day.
He said there were other ways Rays officials could have handled the issue, but they made “a good decision” in how they did it.
“I’ve been with this organization for a long time, and I think they controlled the situation well with the errors that I’ve made,” he said.
Franco’s inability to control his emotions, which has played out publicly and privately over much of the season, was the root cause of the Rays taking such extreme and public action.
Among the known issues were verbal altercations with teammates, not hustling during some at-bats and in the field, and excessive reactions to bad results, such as slamming bats.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/PYYN3A6OMNAKHDCWLVIJPGR23Y.jpg "The Rays' Wander Franco, left, and Vidal Brujan, wearing a Randy Arozarena soccer jersey (a promotional giveaway), switch places during batting practice before Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals at Tropicana Field.")
In announcing the discipline Thursday, manager Kevin Cash said there were “multiple times that the way he has handled his frustrations have not been the way that we ask our players to uphold being the best teammate.”
Franco didn’t plan to address the team as a group, but having spoken with “a lot of the front office people” said he would talk to individual players and staff. One of the players he had a verbal altercation with, outfielder Randy Arozarena, listened from a few lockers away as Franco spoke to reporters. (For what it’s worth, Rays players wore the Arozarena soccer jersey fan giveaway item for batting practice, but Franco did not.)
“I’m going to apologize to them eventually …” Franco said, “but we’re just going to move on forward to control the situation.”
That list will include Navarro, to whom Franco was somewhat dismissive in declining to talk to reporters after making two errors in a June 18 game in San Diego.
Cash said he felt Franco received the message well, but that change won’t necessarily be immediate.
“This is not a ‘flip-a-switch’ thought,” Cash said. “We’re going to support him. Wander’s going to put good work in, confident in that. And this will take shape over the course of probably our season.”
Franco said “a lot of people” have reached out in support, with pitcher Zach Eflin, who joined the Rays this year, most helpful.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/3KMXMNZYE5ATTCL2AYP224QPHU.png "Stay updated on Tampa Bay’s sports scene")
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Eflin said he had reached out to Franco early in the season, noticing “that he was someone that needed to be loved,” and “kind of explained that everybody is on his side, everybody cares about him, everybody loves him.”
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/7ABP2ES23QAAJLRD6XJDFP5PUQ.jpg "Wander Franco sits in the dugout during the ninth inning of Saturday's game at Tropicana Field.")
As the disciplinary action came down, Eflin — who recently signed up for Babbel lessons to learn Spanish so he and Franco can better communicate — reinforced the message.
“I’m always there for him. I’m not going to stop loving him,” Eflin said. “I think some people in this world need that. Some people don’t come from normal families or whatnot. I try not to get too deep with it. But I’m just trying to relate to him as much as possible and let him know that I’m not going to give up on him. Nobody’s going to give up on him.”
Eflin said it will take a team effort.
“I think it’s something that we’re going to all have to get on board with, absolutely,” he said. “It’s going to be important to get Wander in with all of us. He needs to be able to trust everybody in the locker room, and we’re going to do everything we can to do that.”
Veteran pitcher Tyler Glasnow said he hopes it is a lesson learned.
“I think the game means so much to Wander, and I think having that being taken away kind of sends a message to him,” Glasnow said. “I love Wander, and I think it’s probably a tough position to be in as such a young kid.
“He’s been such a huge prospect for such a long time. My interactions have been great. I love the dude. He works his ass off. I just think everyone handles the stress of the game differently.”
Franco said he is eager to move forward: “I’m just here to play baseball. I know I’ve got to control my emotions, but you know I’m here to win.”
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