TAMPA BAY RAYS NEWS

Jeffrey Springs - Earns win Sunday Springs (3-2) allowed two hits and two walks while striking out five over 5.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Sunday versus the Twins.

Impact Springs was stingy on the mound and received plenty of support from the Rays' offense. This was his second win in eight starts, and it's the fifth time he's managed to keep runs off the board since moving into the rotation. Overall, he's pitched to a strong 1.45 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 50:12 K:BB in 49.2 innings across 16 outings. He'll look to keep up his success in Baltimore next weekend.

JUNE 12, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Springs, Rays finally slow Twins hitters in 6-0 win

Jeffrey Springs threw two-hit ball into the sixth inning, Randy Arozarena stole two bases after twice getting hit by pitches and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Minnesota Twins 6-0

JUNE 12, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rays report: Jeffrey Springs faces Twins in bid to avoid a sweep The lefty is coming off his best start of the year; Brett Phillips has a new look after snapping 0-for-31 skid.

JUNE 12, 2022 • TAMPABAY.COM

Isaac Paredes - Out of Sunday's lineup Paredes is not in Sunday's lineup against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Paredes is hitting .208 with two home runs, six walks and three strikeouts over his last 10 games. Vidal Brujan will start at second base and bat ninth.

JUNE 12, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Twins aim to sweep 3-game series against the Rays

The Minnesota Twins play the Tampa Bay Rays looking to sweep their three-game series

JUNE 12, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shane Baz - Poor showing in season debut Baz (0-1) gave up five runs on three hits and three walks in 2.1 innings while striking out just two batters Saturday against the Twins, picking up the loss in his season debut.

Impact Baz entered the season with plenty of hype, but arthroscopic elbow surgery in late March kept him on the shelf for the first two months of the campaign. His season debut certainly didn't go as he would have liked, as the Twins scored five runs in the third inning on a Luis Arraez grand slam and a Jose Miranda double. One bad outing shouldn't dent Baz's significant pedigree, though it does serve as a reminder that expecting dominance immediately after a return from elbow surgery may have been unwise. He'll look to get back on track next week, when he lines up to face the Orioles on Friday.

JUNE 12, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Tampa gets Shane Baz back, but beleaguered Minnesota beats them again - The Boston Globe Big league batting leader Luis Arraez hit his first career grand slam and got at least three hits for the seventh time this season, raising...

JUNE 11, 2022 • BOSTONGLOBE.COM

Twins' Arraez continues league-best hitting with grand slam in 6-5 win vs. Rays MINNEAPOLIS — Luis Arraez stood watching as the ball he just barreled soared toward the Target Field plaza. After it bounced on the concrete...

JUNE 11, 2022 • SACBEE.COM

Baz hits a speed bump in 2022 debut MINNEAPOLIS -- Shane Baz ’s celebrated return to the mound for the Rays was cruising right along Saturday afternoon at Target Field, with th...

JUNE 11, 2022 • MLB.COM

MLB batting leader Arraez hits 1st slam, Twins beat Rays 6-5

Big league batting leader Luis Arraez hit his first career grand slam and the Minnesota Twins spoiled Shane Baz’s season debut, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5

JUNE 11, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shane Baz doesn't get through third, Rays come up short Season debut starts well but ends in disappointment for the young right-hander as the Twins take advantage.

JUNE 11, 2022 • TAMPABAY.COM

Andrew Kittredge - Transferred to 60-day IL Kittredge (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact Kittredge was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday, but with him set to undergo Tommy John surgery, the Rays moved him to the longer of the injured lists to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. Kittredge's recovery period will likely take around a year, so don't expect to see him back with the big club until the summer of 2023.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ralph Garza Jr. - Optioned to Triple-A Garza was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact Garza did not allow a run over his last 9.0 innings with the Rays, but with him likely down for a day or two after tossing 2.2 innings in Friday's game, he was sent out to open up a roster spot for fellow pitcher Shane Baz. Garza figures to be back with the big club at some point this summer.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Shane Baz - Activated from injured list Baz (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list Saturday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact Baz was expected to make his season debut Saturday, and with the Rays adding him to the active roster, he will do just that. Baz threw 79 pitches in his final rehab outing, so he should not be particularly limited in his first big-league outing of the season. Baz can be considered the top pitching prospect in the league, and he will look to pick up where he left off after posting a 2.03 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 18:3 K:BB across the 13.1 innings he tossed for the Rays late last season.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Brandon Lowe - Taking swings Lowe (back) took dry swings Friday, Brian Hall of MLB.com reports.

Impact Lowe has been sidelined since May 16 and this marked his first progress of any kind. He'll continue the rehab process, likely moving to tee work next. Lowe's return still appears to be at least a couple of weeks away.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Francisco Mejía - Stepping into increased role Mejia went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts Friday against the Twins.

Impact Mejia is set to step into a more significant role behind the plate after Mike Zunino (shoulder) landed on the injured list Friday. Mejia has four doubles in his last nine starts, though he is hitting just .200 in that span with three runs scored. Overall, he is hitting .225/.231/.360 across 91 plate appearances on the season.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Vidal Bruján - Pops first homer of year Brujan went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Twins.

Impact Getting the start in right field and batting fifth, Brujan ripped his first homer of the season to left in the seventh inning off Devin Smeltzer. The 24-year-old continues to see regular playing time in a utility role while Brandon Lowe (back) and Wander Franco (quadriceps) are on the shelf, but he hasn't exactly seized his opportunity -- Brujan has started 11 of the last 12 games but has only a .171/.225/.314 slash line to show for it.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Isaac Paredes - Swats fifth homer Paredes went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Twins.

Impact Getting the start at second base and batting sixth, Paredes got the Rays on the board in the second inning by taking Devin Smeltzer deep. The 23-year-old has started eight of the last 11 games with Brandon Lowe (back) and Wander Franco (quadriceps) sidelined and been productive, with Paredes slashing .208/.355/.542 over that stretch with two doubles, two of his five homers on the year and a 6:3 BB:K in 31 plate appearances.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Randy Arozarena - Clubs seventh homer Arozarena went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Twins.

Impact He belted a solo shot off Devin Smeltzer to lead off the seventh inning, but it wasn't anywhere near enough to erase the Rays' deficit. Arozarena continues to roll, and over his last 20 games he's slashing .321/.376/.577 with five of his seven homers on the season in addition to four steals, 10 runs and 19 RBI.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Drew Rasmussen - Stumbles against Twins Rasmussen (5-3) took the loss Friday, coughing up seven runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks over 4.1 innings as the Rays fell 9-4 to the Twins. He struck out three.

Impact Byron Buxton was his biggest nemesis on the night, launching homers off Rasmussen in the first and fifth innings, but the right-hander didn't have much success against the rest of the Minnesota lineup either. Rasmussen has had his two worst performances of the season in his last three trips to the mound, but he'll still carry a 3.41 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 49:16 K:BB through 58 innings into his next start.

JUNE 11, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Twins face the Rays leading series 1-0

The Minnesota Twins lead 1-0 in a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays

JUNE 11, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Arozarena treats fan club to inside-the-parker MINNEAPOLIS -- Despite being on the road, Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena had a group of fans in left field at Target Field chanting his n...

JUNE 11, 2022 • MLB.COM

Buxton hits another pair of HRs as Twins power past Rays 9-4

Byron Buxton had his second straight two-homer game for the Minnesota Twins in a 9-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays

JUNE 11, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Byron Buxton's two home runs just part of onslaught as Twins pound Rays 9-4 Byron Buxton's fifth-inning home run, his second of the game, started a massive six-run inning that chased Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen.

JUNE 11, 2022 • STARTRIBUNE.COM

Rays' Drew Rasmussen loses it in a hurry against Twins What had been a tight game changes dramatically in the fifth inning as six straight Minnesota hitters reach against the Tampa Bay starter.

JUNE 11, 2022 • TAMPABAY.COM