There hasn't been much to smile about for Kansas City Royals fans this season, but they can at least celebrate the return of their franchise shortstop tonight.
Ahead of their series opener against the Minnesota Twins, the Royals announced they are activating Bobby Witt Jr. from the 10-day injured list. Witt landed on the IL on July 22 after experiencing lower-back tightness the previous day in a game against the San Francisco Giants.
Kansas City also recalled reliever José Cuas and designated infielder Andrew Velazquez and left-handed reliever Matt Strahm for assignment.
Before the injury, Witt was putting together another outstanding season in his fifth year in the majors. The three-time All-Star is hitting .279/.350/.450 with 13 home runs and 30 stolen bases while accumulating 4.9 bWAR.
The 26-year-old is also on pace to win his third consecutive Gold Glove Award, showcasing elite defense that few other shortstops can match. Witt leads all shortstops with 18 Outs Above Average, while the next closest players have 12.
Even with the time missed, Witt remains firmly in the MVP conversation. He has finished in the top five in voting each of the past two seasons and has a strong chance to do so again.
The current runaway favorite is Houston Astrosdesignated hitter Yordan Alvarez, who is on track to win the Triple Crown.
The Royals enter play on Tuesday at 46-67, giving them the fourth-worst record in baseball. Despite being clear sellers, Kansas City remained relatively quiet at the trade deadline and refused to tear apart its roster.
The Royals made just two trades involving players from their major league roster. They sent outfielder Lane Thomas and pitcher Bailey Falter to the Atlanta Braves before shipping injured starter Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kansas City remained firm on keeping other movable pieces who likely would've fetched strong returns, including starters Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha. The Royals intend to compete next season and believe both pitchers remain important pieces of that plan.
Whether that decision proves to be a wise one remains to be seen. For now, Kansas City gets its best player back.
The Royals begin their series against the Twins tonight at 6:40 p.m. CT, with Witt expected to return to the lineup.
