Royals Activate All-Star Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. After Back Tightness

The Kansas City Royals activated shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. from the injured list on Tuesday, ending a two-week absence caused by back tightness. Witt rejoined the lineup against the Minnesota Twins, with the club indicating it will monitor his workload in the coming days.

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Witt, a three-time All-Star, leads the American League with 30 stolen bases. In 94 games this season he is batting .279, has hit 13 home runs and driven in 39 runs.

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Alongside Witt’s return, the Royals recalled right-hander José Cuas from Triple-A Omaha; Cuas holds a 2.84 ERA in five relief appearances this year. The team also claimed left-hander Connor Thomas off waivers from the Oakland Athletics—Thomas was originally acquired by the Athletics on July 30. Additionally, the club designated shortstop Andrew Velázquez and left-hander Matt Strahm for assignment; Velázquez had signed with Kansas City on June 24 and recorded a 1-for-15 line in six games, while Strahm is 3-4 with a 7.32 ERA in 41 appearances. Right-handers Luinder Ávila (5-4, 5.53 ERA) and Stephen Kolek (4-3, 4.50 ERA) are slated to undergo Tommy John surgery this week.

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Royals manager Matt Quatraro praised Witt’s effort in returning to health, noting the club’s intent to “manage his workload” by considering game length, temperature and other factors, and to keep communication open with the player and medical staff.

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• “A lot of it is going to depend on the volume of the game,” — Matt Quatraro, royals manager — Matt Quatraro, Royals manager

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