The Royals' star shortstop is closing in on a return after missing six straight starts with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee.
Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has not been in the lineup since June 18, when he went down hard on his right knee while fielding a ground ball against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In the fourth inning of what turned into a 14-6 Royals win, Witt slid to his left on a grounder hit in the hole and landed awkwardly on both knees.
He stayed in the game briefly but was pulled for a pinch-hitter the following half-inning before heading down the tunnel with the training staff.
An MRI revealed a Grade 1 MCL sprain, which Quatraro called the "best case scenario" at the time.
Quatraro Shares Encouraging Update
Since then, the news has gotten better by the day.
Witt completed a full pregame workout Wednesday that included running the bases, fielding ground balls and taking swings in the cage while wearing a knee brace.
On Thursday, Quatraro told reporters that Witt felt even better this morning than he expected after all of Wednesday's activity, and that he went through another workout without any issues.
When asked if Witt would be back in the lineup Friday in Chicago against the White Sox, Quatraro kept it simple.
"That's my hope. Yes."
It would end a six-game absence that Kansas City handled carefully from the start.
Witt was held out of both remaining games in the Cardinals series, sat through an off day and then missed the entire four-game set against Tampa Bay.
He has been available off the bench the past couple of days but the Royals chose not to rush him, and the patience seems to be paying off.
Why Such a Quick Turnaround?
The diagnosis itself played the biggest role.
A Grade 1 MCL sprain is the mildest version of the injury, meaning the ligament was stretched but not torn.
The Royals were cautiously optimistic after the MRI results came back, and Quatraro said early on that surgery was never in the conversation.
The plan was to manage the swelling, brace the knee and let Witt tell them when he was ready.
Witt had already been dealing with right knee soreness earlier in June that caused him to leave a game against the Twins on June 7, though Quatraro noted that the MCL sprain was a separate issue.
The two-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner had started all 76 games this season before the injury.
Through those games, Witt is slashing .294/.368/.465 with an .833 OPS, 10 home runs, 32 RBI and 28 stolen bases.
He leads all American League shortstops in All-Star voting and was tracking toward his third straight selection before going down.
Kansas City enters Thursday at 34-47 on the season and sits fifth in the AL Central, eight games behind the White Sox.
Getting Witt back for Friday's opener in Chicago would be a needed lift for a team that has struggled for most of 2026.
