Maikel Franco on Wednesday received some good news in his comeback from a broken wrist.
The Phillies third baseman was able to take 20 pain-free swings and could start ramping up his hitting program as soon as Friday as he strives to get back for the final couple of weeks of the season.
Franco took 10 dry swings and hit 10 balls off a tee. He felt pain while doing these exercises last week.
“It felt really good today,” Franco said. “I was very happy. Hopefully I’ll be able to play.”
If Franco continues to feel good over the next few days, he could head to Clearwater for some game-speed at-bats. The Phillies open a series in Atlanta a week from Friday. That might be a logical time for Franco to return if he encounters no setbacks. That would give him 11 games to play before the season ends.
“We’d like to get him back in the lineup, but only if he’s 100 percent,” manager Pete Mackanin said. “We miss his bat.”
Franco was hit by a pitch on his left wrist Aug. 11. At the time, he was hitting .277 with 13 homers and 48 RBIs in 77 games while playing excellent defense at third base. He is expected to play some winter ball in the coming months in his native Dominican Republic.