Report: Rays SS Wander Franco (quad) to have MRI

Rays shortstop Wander Franco will have an MRI on his injured right quad Sunday, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Franco, 22, was scratched from Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Boston Red Sox due to soreness.

The Rays open the regular season with a three-game home series against the Detroit Tigers, starting Thursday.

Franco batted .277 with six homers and 33 RBIs in 83 games last season. He spent time on the injured list with a right quad strain and later a broken bone in his right hand.

Franco signed an 11-year, $182 million contract following the 2021 season, when he finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting after batting .288 with seven homers and 39 RBIs in 70 games.