What happened to Wander Franco? Tampa Bay Rays star out of lineup 

The Tampa Bay Rays will be without their young star Wander Franco both Thursday and Friday for non-injury-related issues. According to Rays manager Kevin Cash, the reason behind his healthy scratches is due to "the way he handles frustration and not being a better teammate."

"BREAKING: #Rays Cash says Franco not in lineup tonight and at least Friday stemming from way he handles his frustrations and not being a better teammate. Cash also stressed Franco “is a good kid” and they will work with him to improve." - @TBTimes_Rays

While the decision to bench Wander Franco will not be an easy one for Kevin Cash, it could be a necessary one in the maturity of the young superstar. At only 22 years old, Franco has a long career ahead of him, so the benching will likely be a teachable lesson for the team's top young talent.

Neither Kevin Cash nor anyone else inside the Tampa Bay Rays expanded upon how he handles his frustration, the fact that they deemed it necessary to keep him out of the lineup suggests something serious behind closed doors.

While the talented shortstop has cooled off somewhat from his All-Star caliber beginning to the regular season, he has still been productive for the MLB-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Through 72 games this season, Franco has produced a solid .287 batting average with eight home runs and 34 RBIs, in those 314 plate appearances.

That being said, Franco also leads the entire MLB by being caught stealing seven times. It remains to be seen how the young shortstop will respond to the decision of Kevin Cash and the Rays coaching staff, however, given the team's success, it could ease the blow.

A look at Wander Franco's MLB career so far

One of the top prospects across the entire MLB, Franco signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on July 2, 2017, as an international free agent. He quickly dominated the minor leagues, being named as the number one prospect in the MLB entering the 2020 season.

On June 22, 2021, Wander Franco made his long-awaited MLB debut against the division rival Boston Red Sox. During his first MLB game, Franco went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.

"2 years ago today, Wander Franco made his MLB debut. Exactly 2 years later, Wander Franco is been benched for 2 games, with Kevin Cash stating he needs to be a better teammate and learn to control his anger" - @fuzzyfromyt

While Franco has struggled to remain healthy at times, when he is right he has lived up to his hype, proving his elite on-base skills in the process. Through 225 games with the big club, Wander has a career .284 batting average with 21 home runs and 106 RBIs, while also recording 34 stolen bases.