Bobby Witt Jr. Fantasy Stats

The Kansas City Royals announced on Wednesday that they placed shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (back) on the 10-day injured list with lower-back tightness and selected the contract of infielder Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Omaha in a corresponding move. Velazquez is starting at shortstop and batting ninth on Wednesday against San Francisco Giants right-hander Landen Roupp, but both Tyler Tolbert and Nick Loftin could fill in at the 6 in KC for however long Witt is sidelined. This will be the first time in Witt's career that he has landed on the IL. He was originally held out of Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres with back tightness before returning for Monday's series opener against the Giants, only to be pulled mid-game with more back tightness. It doesn't sound like the Royals are very concerned, though, which means Witt could be back when his 10 days on the IL are up. It could help explain why the three-time All-Star has hit only .196 (11-for-56) with a .536 OPS, one homer, two doubles, three RBI, seven runs, two steals, four walks, and 13 strikeouts in 14 games in the month of July. Witt is a must-hold in all fantasy leagues while he recovers.

After back tightness forced Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (back) from Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants, he is out of the starting lineup for Game 2 of the series on Tuesday, per MLB.com. Tyler Tolbert will make the start at the 6 and will bat ninth against Giants right-hander Tyler Mahle. The Royals also held Witt out of Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres due to lower-back tightness, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he's sitting on Tuesday after a setback on Monday. We will consider the three-time All-Star as day-to-day for now, but this could develop into an injured list stint if he doesn't recover quickly. Witt is typically a must-start in all fantasy leagues as one of the top shortstops in the league, but he hasn't been himself in July, hitting .196 (11-for-56) with a .536 OPS, a homer, two doubles, three RBI, seven runs scored, two steals, four walks, and 13 strikeouts in 14 games played. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Wednesday to see if Witt can return to action for Wednesday's series finale against the Gigantes. UPDATE: Manager Matt Quatraro said Witt's back is still pretty stiff, per The Kansas City Star's Jaylon T. Thompson.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (back) was forced to leave Monday's game early against the San Francisco Giants with more tightness in his lower back, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Before being replaced at the 6 by Nick Loftin, Witt went 0-for-1 at the plate with a walk and a strikeout. The Royals held Witt out of Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres due to back tightness, but he was included in the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against SF. After being pulled early with the same issue, the 26-year-old three-time All-Star could be headed for a stint on the injured list. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Tuesday for an update on his condition. If Witt is forced to miss more time going forward with his back injury, Loftin and Tyler Tolbert would both be candidates to see more playing time at shortstop going forward for KC. Witt is one of the top offensive players, regardless of position, in all of baseball, but he came into Monday's contest hitting just .200 (11-for-55) with a .532 OPS, one homer, two doubles, three RBI, seven runs, two steals, three walks, and 12 K's in 13 games so far in July.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (back) is starting at the 6 and will hit second in Monday's series opener against the visiting San Francisco Giants and right-hander Trevor McDonald, according to MLB.com. The Royals held Witt out of Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres as a precaution due to back tightness that he's experienced of late, but he will end up missing just one game. The 26-year-old former second overall pick in 2019 has not been himself so far in July, but he's still a must-start in traditional fantasy leagues now that he's back in action to start a new week. Overall, the three-time All-Star is hitting .280/.350/.451 with an .801 OPS, 13 home runs, 39 RBI, 30 stolen bases, and 51 runs scored across his 368 at-bats, but he's hitting just .200 (11-for-55) with a .532 OPS, one homer, two doubles, three RBI, seven runs scored, two steals, three walks, and 12 strikeouts in 13 games so far in July. Witt has never faced McDonald in his MLB career.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (back) is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale versus the visiting San Diego Padres due to back tightness, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Manager Matt Quatraro said it progressed during Saturday's win, and the Royals wanted to be cautious with the All-Star shortstop on Sunday. With Witt out, Tyler Tolbert will handle shortstop duties and will bat eighth against Padres right-hander German Marquez. The Royals rightfully aren't going to take any chances with one of the best all-around players in the league. Fantasy managers will need to check back to see if the 26-year-old three-time All-Star can play in Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants. For now, we'll consider him day-to-day. Witt went hitless in nine plate appearances in the first two games of the series against SD and is batting just .200 (11-for-55) with a .532 OPS, a homer, two doubles, three RBI, seven runs, two steals, three walks, and 12 K's in 13 games in July to drop his overall line to .280/.350/.451 on the season with an .801 OPS. Witt might be a little banged up, but he's a must-start when he's active in most fantasy leagues.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. put forth his best effort on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays, but it was not enough in the team's 10-4 loss. Witt went 3-for-4 at the plate with two home runs and three RBI to boost his season average to .294 and his OPS to .846. The 26-year-old former second overall pick in 2019 finished June with only three long balls, but he came into Tuesday's contest hitting .293 (22-for-75) during the month with a homer, five doubles, seven RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 14 runs scored in 20 games and 90 plate appearances. He also entered Tuesday's clash against Tampa with a strong .288/.363/.456 slash line with an .819 OPS, 10 homers, 33 RBI, 28 steals, and 42 runs scored in 309 at-bats in 2026 in his fifth year in the big leagues. The two-time All-Star is one of the best and most consistent five-category producers in fantasy at the premier position of shortstop. Witt is a must-start in fantasy lineups every day he's in the starting lineup.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (knee) is serving as the team's designated hitter and will bat second for the Royals in Friday's series opener on the road against the division-rival Chicago White Sox, per MLB.com. Josh Rojas will start at shortstop and bat seventh. While Witt isn't all the way back from a sprained MCL in his knee, he will make his first start since June 18. Even at less than 100%, Witt is better than most players in the league, and he'll return on Friday to a .294/.368/.465 slash line, .833 OPS, 10 home runs, 32 RBI, a league-leading 28 stolen bases, 40 runs scored, and a league-leading 4.3 WAR in 76 games across 337 plate appearances. Fantasy managers will be hoping that Witt's little injury layoff in the last week won't slow him down. In 17 games so far in June, he has gone 21-for-65 (.323) with a homer, four doubles, six RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 12 runs scored in 77 plate appearances. Even as the DH, Witt needs to be returned to all starting fantasy lineups on Friday in traditional formats. If he doesn't suffer a setback with his knee on Friday, expect him to return to the 6 on either Saturday or Sunday.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (knee) will sit out of the series finale on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, according to MLB.com. Tyler Tolbert will make yet another start at shortstop for the Royals and will hit ninth against Rays right-hander Casey Legumina. Witt is dealing with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee and will be missing his sixth straight start. The Royals have been optimistic that Witt doesn't need a stint on the injured list, but if he cannot play this weekend against the division-rival Chicago White Sox, their tune could change. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if Witt is active for the series opener on the South Side of Chicago. The 26-year-old former second overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft has been a must-start, five-category contributor for fantasy managers when healthy, slashing .294/.368/.465 with an .833 OPS, 10 homers, 32 RBI, 28 steals, and 40 runs scored in his 299 at-bats this year. UPDATE: Manager Matt Quatraro said that Witt is on track to return to the lineup for Friday's series opener against Chicago, per Bally Sports KC's Joel Goldberg.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (knee) is missing his fifth straight game on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field as he recovers from a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, per MLB.com. Tyler Tolbert is making another start at the 6 for KC and will bat ninth in the batting order on Wednesday against Rays right-hander Griffin Jax. The Royals are optimistic that Witt will not need a stint on the injured list, and the fact that he was able to do pre-game workouts before the first two games of the series in Tampa is a good sign. Witt's next chance to return to the starting nine will be for Thursday's series finale against the Rays. Fantasy managers will want to check back then for an update on the 26-year-old two-time All-Star, who is hitting a strong .294/.368/.465 with an .833 OPS, 10 homers, 32 RBI, 28 stolen bases, and 40 runs scored in his 299 at-bats in 2026. When active, the former second overall pick in 2019 is a must-start in all fantasy formats. Tolbert should continue to be ignored in DFS lineups. UPDATE: Witt told reporters that he's available off the bench on Wednesday.

Kansas City Royals All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (knee) remains sidelined for Tuesday's contest in Tampa against the first-place Rays, per MLB.com. With Maikel Garcia (hand) landing on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, Tyler Tolbert is making the start at the 6 for the Royals and will hit eighth against Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan. Witt is missing a fourth straight game due to a Grade 1 sprain of the MCL in his right knee, but he went through a full pre-game workout on Monday, and the Royals are optimistic that he'll avoid a stint on the injured list. When healthy, the 26-year-old former second overall pick in 2019 is a must-start as a five-category contributor in all leagues. Witt, a two-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger winner, comes into Tuesday's action with a .294/.368/.465 slash line, an .833 OPS, 10 home runs, 32 RBI, 28 runs scored, and 40 runs scored in 76 games across 337 plate appearances. Hopefully, Witt will be ready to return for the third game of a four-game series in Tampa on Wednesday.