Bobby Witt Jr. Back In Cactus League Lineup On Saturday
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (forearm) is back in the team's split-squad Cactus League lineup on Saturday against the division-rival Cleveland Guardians, starting at shortstop and batting second. It comes just several days after Witt had an injury scare in Wednesday's spring game against the Seattle Mariners, when he was hit by a pitch on his left forearm by reliever Andres Munoz. The 24-year-old All-Star was pulled from the game and underwent X-rays, which thankfully came back negative. Witt took it easy the last few days and luckily escaped with only a bruised left forearm. He's now back in the lineup and will be fine for Opening Day in a couple of weeks. Witt returns to a .276/.364/.586 slash line in spring training with two home runs and four RBI in 11 games. He's in play as the first overall pick in fantasy drafts.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (forearm) is still feeling better on Friday and did some increased baseball activities at camp, including hitting, according to MLB.com's Anne Rogers. Witt was hit by a pitch on his left forearm in a Cactus League game on Wednesday, but X-rays came back negative and he's just dealing with a forearm contusion. The 24-year-old All-Star is taking it easy, but there's a chance he'll be back in a spring game on Saturday, depending on how he feels by then. Even if he doesn't return to a game this weekend, though, Witt should be just fine for Opening Day in a few weeks. Fantasy managers that had already taken Witt early in the first round of fantasy drafts were surely holding their breathe on Wednesday after he was hit by reliever Andres Munoz. Last year's runner-up for American League MVP is ranked as the No. 2 player at RotoBaller, behind only Shohei Ohtani.
Bobby Witt Jr. Feeling Better After Being Hit By Pitch
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (forearm) avoided a fracture when he was hit by a pitch in Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Seattle Mariners and was feeling better on Thursday. Witt is dealing with a left-forearm contusion and will continue to be evaluated in the coming days. He will take it easy over the next few days in camp and increase his workload based on how he feels. If his forearm doesn't continue to get better, he'll go for more imaging. The 24-year-old said he initially lost feeling in his fingers, but he's feeling much better now and he should be good to go for Opening Day at the end of the month. The Royals will continue to monitor the contusion, but there's optimism that Witt won't miss any time and he'll get his final tune-ups before spring training ends. It's possible that Witt will be back in the Cactus League lineup on Saturday.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (forearm) suffered a left forearm contusion and the X-rays came back negative. Witt was removed from Wednesday's spring training contest after being hit by a pitch. His manager Matt Quatraro noted that the star infield initially lost feeling in his fingers after being struck by the pitch. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but it appears he has avoided a significant injury. Anne Rogers of MLB.com noted that the 24-year-old will continue to be evaluated. Last summer, Witt enjoyed a career-season as he went deep 32 times and swiped 30 bags. He posted a stellar .332/.389/.588 line. He placed in the 99th percentile in xBA and xSLg and 98th percentile in xwOBA. Witt also generated a strong 14.3 percent barrel rate and placed in the 100th percentile in sprint speed. The infielder is viewed as a top pick in all formats given his elite contact, power, and speed.
According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Kansas City Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr. (hand) will undergo x-rays. Witt was hit by a pitch during Wednesday's spring training contest. Manager Matt Quatraro noted that the superstar infielder initially "lost feeling in his fingers" but eventually came back. Fantasy managers should continue closely monitoring his status as the team should provide an update after the testing. The 24-year-old is viewed as a top pick in all formats. Last season, the former second overall selection in the 2019 MLB Draft posted a career-high .332/.389/.588 slash line with 32 home runs and 31 stolen bases. He generated an elite .407 xwOBA, .315 xBA, and a .577 xSLG. He also placed in the 100th percentile in sprint speed. If Witt were to miss time, Maikel Garcia would likely be deployed as the starting shortstop, which opens up the hot corner for Cavan Biggio or Nick Loftin.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (hand, wrist) was forced from Wednesday's Cactus League outing against the Seattle Mariners after being hit by a pitch in his hand/wrist area. Anne Rogers of MLB.com reported the news. The severity of the injury is currently unknown, but the former first-round pick is set to undergo further evaluation. This isn't ideal, as the 24-year-old superstar is a consensus top-three pick in fantasy drafts and a candidate to go first overall in some formats. It's possible that the Royals pulled him out of precaution, but any injury to the hand/wrist area is unfavorable. Any missed time by Witt Jr. would be a blow to the team and, depending on the duration could drop him down in fantasy drafts. We'll likely learn more over the next 24 hours. Sit tight.
Bobby Witt Jr. Working To Be More Efficient On The Bases
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had an incredible 2024 season that resulted in him being the runner-up for the American League MVP award, but he wants to be more efficient as a baserunner in 2025. "I'm one of the fastest guys in the league, so I shouldn't be getting thrown out the way I am," Witt said. He stole 31 bases last year, tied for 12th-most in baseball, but he was also caught 12 times, the third-most in MLB. Per Statcast, his base-stealing value was only plus-one run created, which was tied for 35th in the league. Witt already has elite speed, but he focused on speed work this winter and said he "just feels faster." The 24-year-old's average lead distance gained on steal attempts has decreased in each of his three seasons, and it was more than two feet below league average in 2024. Increasing his reaction time and getting better jumps could help one of the best overall players in the game return to the 40-steal mark in 2025.
Royals Looking For Leadoff Hitter To Set The Table For Bobby Witt Jr.
Among non-leadoff hitters in 2024, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who hit second for the team, had the most plate appearances (433) with the bases empty. Witt still impressed with 109 RBI, 211 hits, 32 home runs and a .332 batting average, but the Royals are looking to prioritize quality contact and on-base percentage as they look for a new leadoff hitter this offseason. Royals hitters struck out at just a 19.4% clip (third-lowest in baseball) but also had a .306 on-base percentage (19th). Among players that KC might be looking at include Reds infielders Jonathan India and Spencer Steer and free agent Jurickson Profar. If the Royals explore the trade market, league sources suggest they would listen to offers for left-hander Kris Bubic and right-hander Alec Marsh.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. went 2-for-5 with a pair of singles in Wednesday's 2-1 series-clinching win over the Orioles. The second of the singles was a grounder up the middle in the sixth inning that he was able to beat out, which scored the go-ahead run and would prove to be the eventual game-winning RBI. The 24-year-old finishes the two-game series 3-for-9 with a pair of RBI and will look to continue his MVP-caliber season in the next round against the Yankees. Gerrit Cole will start Game 1 for New York, whom Witt Jr. has gone 2-for-6 off of in his career.
Bobby Witt Jr. Makes History With 30-Homer, 30-Steal Season
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had a historic evening in Tuesday's 3-1 extra-inning loss to the Tigers. Witt Jr. went 0-for-2 with three walks, a strikeout, and his 30th stolen base of the season. The 24-year-old now has 32 home runs and 30 stolen bases this season, his second consecutive season with at least 30 HR and 30 stolen bases. Only six shortstops in MLB history have ever recorded a 30-30 season and Witt Jr. is now the only shortstop to record multiple 30-30 seasons. He has provided everything for fantasy managers this season, slashing .331/.386/.598 with 123 runs scored and 108 RBI in 671 plate appearances. Witt Jr. has cemented himself as a top fantasy pick for the foreseeable future.
Bobby Witt Jr.
• SS
•
Royals
