It would have been very easy for Maikel Franco to simply call it a season and set his sights on winter ball in the Dominican Republic. But the Phillies third baseman does not want to make the above image the last sight of his 2015 career. Thus, Franco continues on, with the hope of playing for the Phillies again in 2015.
Kevin Cooney of the Bucks County Courier Times reports:
Maikel Franco packed his bats away in a bag Wednesday. But his road trip isn’t taking him to the Phils' weekend series in Atlanta.
No, Franco will head to Clearwater, Florida, for the week to get some extra swings with the hope of returning from his broken left wrist next week when the Phillies are either in Miami or Washington.
Some positive news would go a long way for the struggling Phillies.
The Phillies lineup is currently without Franco, first baseman Ryan Howard, right fielder Domonic Brown, second baseman Cesar Hernandez, and even rookie outfielder Aaron Altherr missed time after getting hit on the elbow by a Jonathan Papelbon pitch. The young starting pitchers are tired and leaking oil, while the veterans only rarely give the Phillies pitching staff some stability.
Even 2015 bright spot Aaron Nola will be shut down soon. With 15 games to go, Phillies fans would like to have something encouraging to watch. A few games with Maikel Franco just might do it.
