WATCH: Tampa Bay's Wander Franco Continues Hot Start With 1st Inning Home Run vs. Oakland

The Tampa Bay Rays are off to a hot start on Sunday, getting a first-inning home run from star shortstop Wander Franco. He's tied for the American League lead in homers now, with four. He only hit six last year. Here's the highlight of the homer.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After a disappointing injury-riddled 2022 campaign, Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco was hoping to get off to a hot start in 2023 — and he's done just that. 

Franco hit his league-leading fourth home run of the season on Sunday, getting the unbeaten Rays off to a hot start in the first inning.

Here's the highlight of his home run, a rocket to right field. 

Wander Franco starts the @RaysBaseball off in style!

WATCH ➡️ https://t.co/irdh0YCctT#MLB | #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/nVOQzaDusq

— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) April 9, 2023

Franco signed a huge 11-year, $187 million contract prior to the '22 season, but he deal with several leg injuries and then broke a bone in his wrist, only playing 83 games. He was a .277 hitter with just six home runs and 33 RBIs.

He's pressing that home run mark already. His fourth home run came against Oakland starter James Kaprielian and he hit a 3-2 pitch on the line and hard into the right-field seats, giving the Rays a 1-0 leading the bottom of the first.

Franco also homered on Opening Day, going deep against Detroit Tigers reliever Mason Englert in the eighth inning of the Rays' 4-0 victory to start the season. 

He also homered on Wednesday against Washington in their Rays' sixth straight win. He took Nationals starter Patrick Corbin deep for a two-run homer in the third inning of a 7-2 win the led to a series sweep. It was the first time the Rays had ever won their first three road games in a season.

His third homer came on Friday night in the series opener against Oakland. He hit a solo shot off of Adam Oller in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Rays won 9-5, so the home run mattered in keeping their streak alive of winning every game by four runs or more.

Boston's Adam Duvall and Rafael Devers have each hit four home runs so far this season. They will be in St. Petersburg Monday through Thursday for a four-game series with Tampa Bay. Chicago's Luis Robert also has four dingers.

Franco struck out in his second bat, leading off the third inning. He finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts on the day. The Rays won 11-0, and Franco was able to come out of the game for the final few innings. He was replaced by Vidal Brujan.

The Rays are now 9-0 and will host the Boston Red Sox on Monday. 

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