Nick Franklin placed on 7-day concussion list after brief return to Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay Rays utility man Nick Franklin has been placed on the seven-day concussion list after briefly playing in Friday night's 6-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
Franklin entered game as a defensive replacement in the third inning but departed after playing two innings, two days after being hit in the head by a teammate's bat while on deck.
Franklin was not in the starting lineup against Rangers left-hander Cole Hamels but he went into the game when center fielder Kevin Kiermaier left after the second inning. The team said Kiermaier was bothered by left hip tightness.
Kiermaier's status will be evaluated Saturday.
Franklin flied out in the third inning.
"I thought everything was fine," Franklin said. "For some reason right after my at-bat, after I ran, I had cotton mouth. Felt like when I went out to left, I felt like I could just pass out there. It was kind of a really weird feeling."
Franklin took over in left field for Mikie Mahtook, who shifted to center. However, Corey Dickerson replaced Franklin in the top of the fifth.
"He came out of the game feeling symptoms kind of like what he felt the other day," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Light-headed, tired, kind of exhausted feeling."
Kiermaier smacked the back of Franklin's head with a bat when Franklin bent to grab some pine tar in the on-deck circle before leading off the first inning Wednesday against San Diego. Kiermaier was stretching a few feet in front of Franklin, swinging the bat over his head with one arm. Franklin was wearing a helmet.
Franklin drew a walk and scored in the first inning Wednesday before leaving with a head bruise. He passed concussion tests Wednesday and Friday.
Tampa Bay had a day off Thursday.
Adrian Beltre led off consecutive innings with home runs and Cole Hamels didn't give up a hit until the sixth for the Rangers on Friday.
Hamels (13-4) gave up one run and three hits while striking out 10 in 7 1/3 innings.
Matt Andriese (6-5) lost his third straight start, giving up five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Steven Souza Jr.'s 12th home run got the Rays on the board in the eighth.
MOVING DAY
The Rays reinstated OF Oswaldo Arcia (strained right elbow) from the 15-day DL and designated him for assignment.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: SS Matt Duffy, who left Wednesday's game after three innings due to left Achilles soreness, played. ... 2B Logan Forsythe (back spasms) remains out of the lineup but doesn't expect to go on the DL.
UP NEXT
RHP A.J. Griffin (5-2) pitches for Texas on Saturday night against Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi. Griffin has a 6.69 ERA in his last seven starts, but the Rangers are 4-1 in his last five. In six starts since the All-Star break, Odorizzi is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA.
