Just a couple days ago, it seemed the the Phillies would be welcoming Maikel Franco back to their lineup for the final month of the season, but that may no longer be the case. Franco broke his wrist a month ago, but after taking roughly 20 swings this afternoon, any optimism about his return seemingly disappeared.
In 326 plate appearances this season, Franco hit .277/.340/.490, posted an ISO of .213, a wOBA of .356, and a wRC+ of 126. His raw power grades out at a 60 on the 80 scale, and he's quickly become the Phillies' best hitter. While it would be great to be able to insert him back into the lineup, Philadelphia isn't playing for anything this season, and rushing Franco back is something that they won't do.
Also, as Todd Zolecki points out, "once the wrist heals, Franco can make up for any lost at-bats with plate appearances in winter ball". The Phillies plan to re-evaluate him in a couple days according to interim manager Pete Mackanin, but won't activate him unless he's 100 percent healthy.
"It's a big deal for me because I want to play. So it's hard to take. But I have to udnerstand my situation right now. I know I want to play. I don't want to put us in the sitation where I just go out and play. That could be a lot of trouble, a lot of problems."
While Franco clearly wants to get back into game action, he undoubtedly understands that the Phillies are doing what's best for him and the team.