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Royals place MVP hopeful Witt on IL

7/23/2026

45 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Royals placed shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. on the 10-day IL on July 22, 2026 for back tightness.
Andrew Velazquez was promoted from Triple-A Omaha and will share duties with Tyler Tolbert, Nick Loftin, Luis Rojas, hurting Witt’s MVP case.
Witt is hitting .279/.350/.450 with 13 homers and a league-leading 4.9 bWAR.
The Royals are 42-60, the AL’s second-worst record, and are expected to be sellers at the July 31 deadline.

History

Historical Context

In 2001 Alex Rodriguez’s wrist fracture sidelined him four games, yet he still captured the AL MVP with a .318 average, 52 homers and 135 RBIs. His ability to win despite injury mirrors later cases such as Carlos Alcaraz, who withdrew from a 2024 tournament because of a right-wrist injury while holding 9,460 ranking points. Both illustrate how wrist problems have repeatedly tested players’ seasons.

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Story summary

Royals placed shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. on the 10-day IL on July 22, 2026 for back tightness.
Andrew Velazquez was promoted from Triple-A Omaha and will share duties with Tyler Tolbert, Nick Loftin, Luis Rojas, hurting Witt’s MVP case.
Witt is hitting .279/.350/.450 with 13 homers and a league-leading 4.9 bWAR.
The Royals are 42-60, the AL’s second-worst record, and are expected to be sellers at the July 31 deadline.

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