MLB Top 10: Dodgers, Blue Jays, Mets leading the way
Ben Verlander provides his updated MLB Top 10, with the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers moving into the No. 1 spot.APRIL 19, 2022
TAMPA BAY RAYS 80-82 · 4TH IN AL EAST
80-82 · 4TH IN AL EAST
Yandy Díaz - Late addition to lineup Diaz was added to the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs after Wander Franco was scratched with quad tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact Diaz was scheduled to hit the bench after starting five straight games, but he'll instead remain in the lineup. He'll bat fifth and play third base, with Taylor Walls moving from third to shortstop.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Wander Franco - Scratched with tight quadriceps Franco was scratched from the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs with a tight right quadriceps, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact The initial diagnosis doesn't sound particularly severe, but it's possible the diagnosis could change into something more serious after further tests. Yandy Diaz will replace him in the lineup, starting at third base and pushing Taylor Walls to shortstop.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Manuel Margot - Not in Monday's lineup Margot is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cubs, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact Margot has a hit in all but one appearance this season and is 11-for-30 overall, and he'll take a seat Monday with Kyle Hendricks on the mound for the Cubs. Brett Phillips will start in right field and bat ninth in his place.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Francisco Mejía - Not in Monday's lineup Mejia isn't starting Monday's game against the Cubs, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact Mejia and Mike Zunino continue to alternate starts behind the dish to begin the year, and the latter will bat eighth as the starting catcher Monday. Mejia has hit .300 with a home run, seven RBI and three runs in six appearances this season.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Yandy Díaz - Not starting Monday Diaz isn't starting Monday against the Cubs, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact Diaz went 5-for-18 with a double, two runs, two RBI and three walks in his last five appearances, but he'll get a day off in Monday's series opener. Taylor Walls will start at third base and bat sixth.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Vidal Bruján - Battling sore knee Brujan hasn't appeared in a minor-league game since April 6 due to knee soreness but is expected to return soon, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact Brujan missed out on a spot on the Rays' Opening Day roster and hasn't had the chance to make his case for playing time in the minors, as he appeared in just two games before being sidelined for nearly two weeks. Once healthy, he shouldn't be too far from a call-up, as he can play all over the diamond and hit .262/.345/.440 in 103 Triple-A games last season, though the fact that he wasn't on the Opening Day roster may mean it will take an injury ahead of him to open up a roster spot.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Ryan Yarbrough - Nearing bullpen session Yarbrough (groin) could throw a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
Impact Yarbrough will need to spend more than the minimum of 10 days on the injured list due to his groin injury, but it's encouraging that he'll be able to resume mound work soon. The southpaw won't pitch during the Rays' road series against the Cubs, but it's possible he'll be able to rejoin the rotation sometime during the weekend series against the Red Sox in Tampa Bay. Yarbrough's injury isn't regarded as particularly serious, but Cash said the team is exercising caution to prevent against a more significant issue.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Chris Mazza - Gets win despite ugly outing Mazza (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) on two hits and five walks while striking out one across 2.1 innings to earn the win Sunday against the White Sox.
Impact Mazza entered the game in the third inning and was slated for an extended relief appearance. However, despite throwing 62 pitches, he managed to record only seven outs. He struggled mightily with his control, as he had only a 50 percent strike rate and he started ahead in the count for only seven of the 15 batters he faced. Despite the negatives, Mazza did earn his first win of the season.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Cubs host the Rays to start 3-game series
The Chicago Cubs start a three-game series at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on MondayAPRIL 18, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Manuel Margot - Reaches four times Margot went 3-for-4 with a double, walk, run scored and an RBI in a 9-3 win Sunday against the White Sox.
Impact Margot drove in a run with a single in the first inning and reached in his final three appearances, including knocking his first double of 2021. The outfielder has hit safely in all but one game this season and has three multi-hit games in his first eight appearances. He's reached double-digit home runs and stolen bases in three of the last four 162-game seasons and should begin to pick up extra-base hits more frequently.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Randy Arozarena - Doubles twice Arozarena went 3-for-5 with a double, a run and a RBI in a 9-3 win Sunday over the White Sox.
Impact Arozarena singled and scored in the first, doubled in the second and had an RBI double in the eighth. It was his best offensive game of the season and first multi-hit game since Opening Day. After walking in an above-average 9.3% of his plate appearances last season, the outfielder has not yet walked in 38 plate appearances in 2022.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
J.P. Feyereisen - Three strikeouts as opener Feyereisen pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts as the opener in a 9-3 win Sunday against the White Sox.
Impact Feyereisen served as the opener for the first time in his career and retired all six batters he faced. After struggling with control in his first two seasons, he has yet to allow a walk in his first five appearances in 2022. The 29-year-old is a key piece in the Tampa Bay bullpen and has pitched in five of the team's first 10 games.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Dusten Knight - OKs outright assignment Knight accepted his outright assignment to Triple-A Durham after clearing waivers Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact Knight's recent stay on the Rays' 40-man roster and 28-man active roster lasted just one day, as he was designated for assignment following a 2.1-inning relief appearance in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Athletics. He'll stick around in the organization as relief depth at the Triple-A level.
APRIL 18, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Big first just what doctor ordered for Rays CHICAGO -- Coming off four consecutive losses in which they struggled to find any sort of consistent offense and played surprisingly sloppy...
APRIL 18, 2022 • MLB.COM
Chicago White Sox are held to 3 hits and can't recover from the Tampa Bay Rays' 4-run 1st in a 9-3 loss in the series finale The Chicago White Sox surrendered four runs in the first and didn't recover, falling 9-3 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate...
APRIL 18, 2022 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM
Rays beat sloppy White Sox, snap a four-game skid CHICAGO — The Rays got a little help Sunday in snapping their four-game losing streak.
APRIL 17, 2022 • CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
Tommy Romero - Sent down Sunday Romero was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Impact Romero made his major-league debut as a starter Tuesday against the Athletics and allowed three runs on two hits and five walks while striking out one in 1.2 innings. He pitched the final two innings of Sunday's win over the White Sox and allowed a run on a hit and no walks while striking out three. While the 24-year-old was more effective Sunday, he'll head to the minors after the Rays traded for Javy Guerra on Saturday. Although he was sent down Sunday, he remains one of the team's top prospects and should be in the mix to rejoin the Rays at some point.
APRIL 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Arozarena leads Rays past White Sox 9-3 to stop 4-game slide
Randy Arozarena doubled twice and finished with three hits as the Tampa Bay Rays topped the Chicago White Sox 9-3 to stop a four-game slideAPRIL 17, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Angels' Trout plunked in win over Texas, X-rays negative
Mike Trout left the Los Angeles Angels’ 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers after being hit in his left hand by a pitch, but the team said X-rays were negative and the three-time AL MVP...APRIL 17, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Angels' Mike Trout hit by pitch on hand, X-rays negative
The Los Angeles Angels say three-time AL MVP Mike Trout is day to day and X-rays were negative after he was hit on his left hand by a pitchAPRIL 17, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ryan Yarbrough - Yet to resume mound work Yarbrough (groin) threw from 150 feet on flat ground Sunday and has yet to throw off a mound since being placed on the injured list last week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times re...
Impact The 30-year-old was only expected to miss one start after landing on the shelf April 11, but that no longer appears to be the case given he has yet to throw off a mound. Yarbrough apparently hasn't suffered a setback, and manager Kevin Cash hopes the lefty can get back on the mound within the next couple days.
APRIL 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Mike Zunino - On bench Sunday Zunino is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Impact The 31-year-old clubbed 33 homers last year but is off to a slow start in 2022, going 1-for-18 with 10 strikeouts through six games. Zunino started Opening Day behind the plate, but he and Francisco Mejia have alternated starts in every game since, and that trend will continue Sunday after Zunino started Saturday's contest.
APRIL 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Taylor Walls - Swipes first bag Walls went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a stolen base Saturday against the White Sox.
Impact Walls drew the start at shortstop Saturday, as Wander Franco was in the lineup as the designated hitter. He was hit by a pitch in his opening plate appearance and subsequently swiped second base to record his first steal of the campaign. That was the only good news for Walls in the contest, as he struck out in his remaining three at-bats -- including for the final out of the game.
APRIL 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Corey Kluber - Another solid outing Kluber allowed two earned runs on four hits and no walks while striking out four across five innings Saturday against the White Sox. He did not factor into the decision.
Impact Kluber surrendered a two-run home run to Jose Abreu in the fourth inning, accounting for the only damage he allowed in his outing. He needed only 75 pitches to retire 15 hitters, which was a positive step forward in efficiency after he issued four free passes across only 4.2 innings in his opening start of the campaign. Otherwise, results have been positive for Kluber early on as he's allowed only two earned runs with nine strikeouts across 9.2 frames.
APRIL 17, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
