Rays' Franco likely heading to IL after injuring hamstring

The Tampa Bay Rays will probably be without Wander Franco for at least some of the stretch run.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said it's likely that Franco ends up on the injured list after leaving Friday's game with a tight hamstring.

"I don't see a situation where he avoids the IL, (it's) highly likely that will happen," Cash said after the Rays' 10-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers, according to Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Florida. "Hope we caught it early enough, though."

After singling in the first inning, Franco limped into third base while advancing on Nelson Cruz's double. He was removed after being examined by trainers.

(Video source: MLB.com)

The former top prospect told reporters postgame that he was feeling better and didn't want to speculate about his injury until being evaluated Saturday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Franco, 20, is enjoying a fine rookie season, hitting .285/.347/.463 with seven homers and 36 RBIs in 61 big-league contests. His single just before getting hurt extended his on-base streak to 39 games, the second-longest in history for a player under 21 years old.