Monday marked the return to the lineup for Kansas City Royals star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. Unfortunately, Witt did not finish the game.
Witt played the first four innings of the series opener against the San Francisco Giants. But when the Royals took the field for the fifth inning, Witt was replaced by Nick Loftin.
Bobby Witt Jr. Missed Previous Game With Back Issues
Anne Rogers, who covers the Royals for MLB.com, noted on X (formerly Twitter) that Witt was pulled from the game with the Giants. Rogers also reminded readers that Witt missed Sunday’s game against the San Diego Padres with back tightness.
The Royals later shared on X that “Bobby Witt Jr. exited tonight’s game with low back tightness.”
Witt had a quiet night before getting pulled. He was 0-for-1 at the plate with a strikeout and a walk. He only made one play in the field.
When reporting that Witt would miss the series finale against the Padres, Rogers cited Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro, who said that Witt’s injury had “progressed” throughout the previous game and that the team “wanted to be cautious with him.”
Witt Had Been Struggling Before His Injury
Witt missed six games with a knee injury in June. Since his return, he hasn’t completely returned to form. In the 17 games since his return, Witt was slashing .217/.267/.391 with three home runs and two stolen bases.
Despite his recent struggles, Witt is Kansas City’s best player and has been one of baseball’s biggest stars for the last few seasons.
Heading into the game with the Giants, Witt had an impressive .280/.350/.451 slash line on the season, adding 13 home runs and 30 stolen bases. Witt is a three-time All-Star and started at shortstop for the American League in 2026’s Midsummer Classic. Witt also won the American League batting title in 2024 and earned the Junior Circuit’s Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards for shortstop in both 2024 and 2025.
If there’s good news for the Royals and Witt from this, they can be patient with his return. The Royals are one of a few American League teams truly out of the postseason race. Kansas City entered the series opener against the Giants at 40-60, 13 games out of first place in the American League Central and 11 games out of the American League’s final playoff spot.
The Royals have every reason to be cautious with Witt, especially given the recurrence of his back issues.
Royals Star Bobby Witt Jr. Leaves Game vs. Giants Early