TAMPA BAY RAYS NEWS

Josh Fleming - Takes loss Thursday Fleming (1-1) took the loss after giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits across 3.1 innings during Thursday's 6-3 loss to Oakland. He struck out six and walked one.

Impact Fleming replaced Luis Patino (oblique) in the rotation and threw a season-high 67 pitches. While he got into trouble in every inning, the 25-year-old displayed the potential to be a high-strikeout long reliever. Through 6.2 innings this season, Fleming has recorded 11 strikeouts and just one walk.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

How to watch Rays vs. White Sox FREE on Apple TV+ Friday night’s game between the Rays and White Sox -- as the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day -- will air exclusively on Apple TV+. It...

APRIL 14, 2022 • MLB.COM

Not much goes right in Rays' sloppy loss to the A's ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — This may be a good time for the Rays to get out of town.

APRIL 14, 2022 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Irvin pitches into 7th, A's take 3 of 4 from Rays, 6-3

Cole Irvin pitched into the seventh inning,and the Oakland Athletics beat Tampa Bay 6-3 to take three of four from the Rays, Irvin allowed three runs and five hits in 6 1/3 innings...

APRIL 14, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Josh Lowe - Sits against lefty Lowe is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact With southpaw Cole Irvin on the hill for Oakland, the righty-hitting Harold Ramirez will crack the starting nine as a replacement for the lefty-hitting Lowe. Over his first six games with Tampa Bay this season, Lowe has slashed .143/.308/.238 with three runs and an RBI across 26 plate appearances.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Taylor Walls - Picks up start versus lefty Walls will start at third base and bat ninth in Thursday's game against the Athletics, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Walls will pick up his third start in four games, but he still looks to be a short-side platoon player who plays only occasionally against right-handers. With southpaw Cole Irvin on the mound for Oakland on Thursday, Walls will enter the lineup as an indirect replacement for the lefty-hitting Ji-Man Choi.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ji-Man Choi - Won't start Thursday Choi is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Athletics, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact With southpaw Cole Irvin on the bump for Oakland in the series finale, the lefty-hitting Choi will retreat to the bench. Yandy Diaz will move across the diamond to replace Choi at first base.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Dusten Knight - Cast off 40-man roster The Rays designated Knight for assignment Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact One day after the Rays selected his contract from Triple-A Durham, Knight will be move off the 40-man roster and 28-man active roster in exchange for another Durham reliever in Phoenix Sanders, who was called up in a corresponding move. Knight made his Rays debut in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Athletics, giving up an earned run on three hits and a walk while striking out three in 2.1 innings.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Phoenix Sanders - Moves up to bigs The Rays selected Sanders' contract from Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact Tampa Bay designated Dusten Knight for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster and 28-man active roster for Sanders, who will reach the majors for the first time. The 26-year-old right-hander is expected to serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen after he turned in a 3.38 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 80:11 K:BB across 64 frames with Durham in 2021.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Tampa Bay Rays host the Oakland Athletics Thursday

The Tampa Bay Rays play the Oakland Athletics on Thursday

APRIL 14, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ji-Man Choi - Remains hot with solo homer Choi went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Wednesday's loss to the A's.

Impact Tampa Bay wasn't able to produce much offense Wednesday, but Choi kept his hot start to the campaign going with his second homer. The first baseman extended his hitting streak to five games, during which he has gone 9-for-16 (.563) with four extra-base hits and six RBI. Choi has also walked five times in 21 plate appearances this season.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Shane McClanahan - Fans eight but takes loss McClanahan (0-1) pitched 4.2 innings against Oakland on Wednesday, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks to take the loss. He struck out eight.

Impact The left-hander had his strikeout stuff working in the outing, as he induced 16 swinging strikes and racked up eight punchouts. However, he also walked three batters and was stung by a three-run homer off the bat of Sean Murphy in the third inning that provided all the scoring Oakland needed to pull out the win. McClanahan has recorded 15 strikeouts over nine innings across his first two starts of the campaign but has yet to earn a victory. He'll aim for that first win in his next outing, which is expected to take place in Chicago against the Cubs early next week.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

J.P. Feyereisen - Strong start to new campaign Feyereisen struck out one and did not allow a baserunner in Wednesday's loss to the Athletics.

Impact Feyereisen recorded the final two outs in the top of the ninth inning, and he struck out Cristian Pache on four pitches -- three of which were swinging strikes. Through 3.1 frames this season, Feyereisen has allowed only two baserunners and has yet to allow a run. It's possible that he occasionally picks up saves, though he has served a setup role early on.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josh Fleming - Starting Thursday Fleming will start Thursday's game against the Athletics, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact The 25-year-old is will replace Luis Patino (oblique) in Tampa Bay's rotation, and he'll work as a traditional starter Thursday rather than follow an opener. Fleming picked up the win Saturday with 3.1 scoreless innings, so he's already stretched out as a long reliever. The left-hander threw 38 pitches in that contest and should be able to extend his workload in the range of 50-to-60 pitches against Oakland, which could make it difficult for him to reach the five necessary innings to qualify for a potential win.

APRIL 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Montas pitches into 7th, Murphy homers, A's beat Rays 4-2

Frankie Montas pitched neatly into the seventh inning, Sean Murphy hit a three-run homer, and the Oakland Athletics beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2

APRIL 14, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Montas, Murphy help A's restore order in win over Tampa Bay A’s starter Frankie Montas delivers strong effort, Sean Murphy provides power against Rays.

APRIL 14, 2022 • MERCURYNEWS.COM

Who could supplant Wander Franco as MLB's youngest player?

Tampa Bay's Wander Franco is an established MLB star at age 21. So Jordan Shusterman goes in search of baseball's next phenom?

APRIL 13, 2022

Early-season MLB stats can get absurd, which makes it fun

Early-season statistics in MLB can get pretty absurd, but that's part of the fun, Martin Rogers writes.

APRIL 13, 2022

Mike Zunino - Gets breather Wednesday Zunino isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Athletics, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact Zunino continues to alternate starts behind the dish to begin the regular season, and Francisco Mejia will start at catcher and bat ninth Wednesday. Zunino has gone 1-for-11 with a double, a run, an RBI and seven strikeouts in his first three appearances of the year.

APRIL 13, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Luis Patiño - Transferred to 60-day IL Patino (oblique) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Wednesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact Patino started Monday's game against the Athletics but was removed with an oblique strain after throwing just 13 pitches. The right-hander is in line for a significant absence and won't be eligible to return until at least mid-June. Josh Fleming will take Patino's place in the rotation, while Tommy Romero is also a candidate to make additional starts for the Rays' shorthanded pitching staff.

APRIL 13, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Dusten Knight - Contract selected by Rays Knight's contract was selected by the Rays on Wednesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact Knight began the 2022 season at Triple-A Durham and struck out five in four scoreless innings during three relief appearances. He'll now provide bullpen depth for Tampa Bay after Ralph Garza was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday.

APRIL 13, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ralph Garza Jr. - Sent back down Garza was optioned to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact Garza was recalled by the Rays on Tuesday and allowed three runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one in three relief innings during the team's win over Oakland. However, he'll now head back to the minors as part of a move to make room for Dusten Knight, whose contract was selected Wednesday.

APRIL 13, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Rays bring 1-0 series advantage over Athletics into game 2

The Tampa Bay Rays bring a 1-0 lead into the latest game of the series against the Oakland Athletics

APRIL 13, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS