MLB Twitter reacts to Wander Franco hitting a home run in first at-bat since being benched: "Cash woke up a demon" "He runs the team"

Tampa Bay Rays slugger Wander Franco was back in the lineup on Saturday after being benched the last two games. Manager Kevin Cash said Franco wasn't a good teammate and needed time to reflect on that.

It did not take long for him to produce on Saturday as he launched a no-doubter into center field. The home run was measured at 417 feet with a 101.6 mph exit velocity off the bat.

Cash did not get into the specifics of what Franco has done wrong this season, but many can speculate. He's had verbal altercations with teammates, mental lapses on the basepaths, and failure to hustle at times.

Hopefully, that's past him now, so he and the team can move on. Franco is too important a piece in that lineup. He's too special of a talent to let things like this get in the way of his playing time.

Baseball fans think manager Kevin Cash lit a fire under Wander Franco. It would not surprise them if Franco started going nuclear at the plate.

The last thing the rest of the league needs is a Tampa Bay Rays player catching fire. They are already the league's best team.

Tampa Bays Rays benching Wander Franco was difficult but warranted

Wander Franco is a young star, so these issues surrounding him are to be expected. It's great that Cash made it a priority for Franco to be a good teammate so early. If he let it slide, it could create bad habits.

Being so young, Franco will be an important member of this organization for years to come.

Given how good the Rays look this season, they needed to get out in front of this. They have the chance to take home a World Series title this season, but not if they're constantly dealing with things off the field. They need their player's entire focus on the game ahead of them.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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