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Jonathan Aranda Jonathan Aranda On bench for Opening Day
Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 11:23 AM
Aranda is not in the lineup for Friday's opener against the Rockies.
Analysis: The Rockies are sending left-hander Kyle Freeland to the bump, so it's not a surprise the lefty-hitting Aranda will begin the contest on the bench. He is a candidate to come in mid-game when the Rockies use a right-handed reliever, and the 26-year-old remains likely to start against most righties. |
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Curtis Mead Curtis Mead Batting leadoff in opener
Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 11:20 AM
Mead is starting at first base and batting leadoff in Friday's opener versus the Rockies.
Analysis: Mead was one of the best hitters in all of baseball during spring training, going a ridiculous 22-for-42 (.524) with one home run and a 6:6 K:BB. The Rays have rewarded him by slotting him at the top of their batting order against southpaw Kyle Freeland. Much of Mead's playing time is likely to come versus lefties, but he could play his way into additional at-bats if he gets off to a hot start. |
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Danny Jansen Danny Jansen Part of Opening Day lineup
Fri, Mar 28, 2025, 11:16 AM
Jansen (rib) is starting at catcher and batting sixth in Friday's opener against the Rockies.
Analysis: Jansen missed the last several days of spring training with a pulled muscle in his ribcage, but he came out of a simulated game Wednesday with no issues and is ready to roll. The former Blue Jay is expected to receive the bulk of the reps at catcher for the Rays this season. |
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Danny Jansen Danny Jansen Expected to be ready to go Friday
Thu, Mar 27, 2025, 1:55 PM
Jansen (rib) is expected to be in the lineup for the Rays' opener Friday against the Rockies, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.
Analysis: Jansen didn't have any limitations while going through a simulated game Wednesday and evidently bounced back well Thursday, which should clear the way for his Opening Day availability. He is expected to operate as Tampa Bay's primary catcher this season. |
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Coco Montes Coco Montes Added to 40-man and optioned
Thu, Mar 27, 2025, 1:29 PM
The Rays selected Montes' contract from Triple-A Durham on Thursday and optioned him to Durham, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Montes had an upward mobility clause and was receiving interest from other teams, so the Rays either needed to add him to their 40-man roster or let him go. They chose the former, and he will provide infield depth at Durham. |
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Danny Jansen Danny Jansen Playing simulated game Wednesday
Wed, Mar 26, 2025, 3:02 PM
Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Jansen (rib) will play 5-to-6 innings in a simulated game Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: If he gets through the workout without any lingering issues with his pulled rib muscle, Jansen will be active for the Rays for Friday's opener. Kenny Piper has joined the club as a contingency and would be added to the roster in the event Jansen isn't ready. |
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Kameron Misner Kameron Misner Receives call-up
Wed, Mar 26, 2025, 12:13 PM
The Rays recalled Misner from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.
Analysis: Misner had been on track to begin the season in the minors after being optioned to Triple-A last Wednesday, but a spot on the Rays' Opening Day roster opened up for him after Richie Palacios suffered a fractured ring finger that will send him to the injured list. With Christopher Morel, Jonny DeLuca and Josh Lowe seemingly locked in as the Rays' preferred starting outfield trio against right-handed pitching, the lefty-hitting Misner likely won't be in line for many at-bats to begin the season. |
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Hunter Bigge Hunter Bigge Summoned to majors
Wed, Mar 26, 2025, 12:09 PM
The Rays recalled Bigge from Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.
Analysis: Bigge was optioned to Triple-A last week, but a spot on the Opening Day roster opened back up for him after the Rays placed Shane McClanahan (triceps) on the 15-day injured list. McClanahan's injury clears room in the rotation for Drew Rasmussen, while Bigge will fill the final opening in the Tampa Bay bullpen. Bigge impressed in his first taste of the big leagues in 2024 with a 2.60 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 24:5 K:BB across 17.1 innings between stops with the Cubs and Rays, but he may have to settle for low-leverage relief work to begin the upcoming season. |
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Richie Palacios Richie Palacios Heads to IL with finger fracture
Wed, Mar 26, 2025, 12:05 PM
The Rays placed Palacios (finger) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Palacios had been on track to begin the season in a utility role with the Rays, but his bid for the Opening Day roster ended late last week when he was diagnosed with a small fracture in his right ring finger. His IL placement is retroactive to Monday, so Palacios will be eligible for activation ahead of the Rays' third series of the season, which begins April 4 in Texas. Tampa Bay recalled Kameron Misner from Triple-A Durham to provide some extra coverage in the outfield while Palacios is on the shelf. |
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Shane McClanahan Shane McClanahan Lands on IL
Wed, Mar 26, 2025, 12:01 PM
The Rays placed McClanahan (triceps) on the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: McClanahan is without an official timeline to make his season debut while he recovers from a nerve-related triceps injury, but since he's yet to resume a throwing program, he's expected to miss beyond the minimum 15 days. The southpaw's injury clears the way for both Zack Littell and Drew Rasmussen to hold down spots at the back end of the rotation to begin the season. |
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Yoniel Curet Yoniel Curet Opens season on Double-A IL
Tue, Mar 25, 2025, 8:17 AM
Double-A Montgomery placed Curet on its 60-day injured list Saturday due to an unspecified injury.
Analysis: Curet is heading into his second season as a member of the Rays' 40-man roster, but he's still a long way off from reaching the majors. He's made just five starts above the High-A level, and he looks to be at least a couple months away from making his 2025 debut after he apparently got injured during spring training. The 22-year-old righty found immediate success with Montgomery last season following his promotion from High-A Bowling Green, turning in a 1.75 ERA while striking out 37 batters over 25.2 innings. |
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Jonathan Hernandez Jonathan Hernandez Dismissed from big-league camp
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 3:02 PM
The Rays reassigned Hernandez to minor-league camp Monday.
Analysis: Hernandez is likely to begin the season at Triple-A Durham after falling short in his bid for a spot in Tampa Bay's Opening Day bullpen. The hard-throwing right-hander previously recorded four saves while filling a high-leverage relief role for Texas during the 2022 season, but control problems kept him from having much success in the majors over the subsequent two seasons. |
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Hunter Bigge Hunter Bigge Now set to make Opening Day roster
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 10:48 AM
Bigge is now set to make the Rays' Opening Day roster with Shane McClanahan (triceps) slated for the 15-day injured list, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.
Analysis: Bigge was optioned to Triple-A Durham last week but will be recalled to take McClanahan's spot. The hard-throwing reliever boasted a 2.57 ERA and 19:3 K:BB over 14 innings for the Rays last season after being acquired from the Cubs in a trade. |
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Shane McClanahan Shane McClanahan Feeling better, but no timeline
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 10:18 AM
McClanahan said Monday that he remains without a timeline to make his season debut, but he acknowledged that his left arm is already feeling better after he exited his final Grapefruit League start Saturday due to nerve irritation in his tricep, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: McClanahan noted that he's still waiting for the nerve to calm down before he's re-evaluated, at which point the Rays could have a clearer timeline for the lefty to resume his throwing program. Given that McClanahan previously underwent Tommy John surgeries in 2016 and in August 2023, the Rays will likely proceed deliberately with his recovery from the tricep issue, even though all indications are that the 27-year-old avoided a significant injury. With McClanahan ticketed for a stint on the injured list to begin the season, the Rays should have room at the back end of their Opening Day rotation for both Zack Littell and Drew Rasmussen. |
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Jamie Westbrook Jamie Westbrook Falls short in bid for roster
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 9:04 AM
The Rays reassigned Westbrook to minor-league camp Sunday.
Analysis: The 29-year-old saw his first big-league action in 2024 with the Red Sox, but after producing a lowly .584 OPS over his 47 plate appearances, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster in August. Westbrook became a free agent in the offseason and joined the Rays on a minor-league deal that included an invitation to big-league camp, but he faced long odds to win a spot on the Opening Day roster. He'll likely report to Triple-A Durham to begin the season and should serve in a utility role. |
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Connor Seabold Connor Seabold Opening season in minors
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 8:59 AM
The Rays reassigned Seabold to minor-league camp Sunday.
Analysis: Seabold previously made 19 starts at the big-league level between stops with the Red Sox and Rockies from 2021 through 2023, but he fell short in his bid for a spot in the Rays' Opening Day rotation. The 29-year-old right-hander will head to Triple-A Durham to begin the campaign, but after excelling in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Samsung Lions last season and acquitting himself well in Grapefruit League play this spring (4.91 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, .171 batting average against in 11 innings), Seabold could be in the mix for starts with the Rays later on in 2025. |
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Coco Montes Coco Montes Cut from big-league camp
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 8:55 AM
The Rays reassigned Montes to minor-league camp Sunday.
Analysis: Montes joined the Rays on a minor-league deal in December and was given a chance to compete for a utility role on the Opening Day roster, but despite turning in an .800 OPS in Grapefruit League play, he wasn't able to secure a spot with the big club. The 28-year-old will head to Triple-A Durham and will look to impress with the hope of earning his first promotion to the majors since 2023, when he appeared in 18 games with the Rockies. |
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Eloy Jimenez Eloy Jimenez Sent to minor-league camp
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 8:49 AM
The Rays reassigned Jimenez to Triple-A Durham on Sunday.
Analysis: The transaction was fully expected after manager Kevin Cash said Friday that the 28-year-old outfielder/designated hitter wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster. Jimenez is slated to open the season at Triple-A Durham, but he'll have the ability to opt out of his contract on May 1 and June 1 if a promotion to the big leagues isn't imminent or if he wants to explore his options on the open market. |
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Tres Barrera Tres Barrera Sent to minor-league camp
Mon, Mar 24, 2025, 8:46 AM
The Rays reassigned Barrera to minor-league camp Sunday.
Analysis: Barrera was attending camp as a non-roster invitee, but he never stood much of a chance to win an Opening Day roster spot so long as both Danny Jansen (ribs) and Ben Rortvedt were ready to go for the start of the season. The 30-year-old will likely head to Triple-A Durham and provide depth behind the plate. |
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Shane McClanahan Shane McClanahan Dealing with inflamed nerve
Sun, Mar 23, 2025, 3:02 PM
McClanahan was diagnosed with an inflamed nerve in his left triceps and will begin the season on the injured list, with manager Kevin Cash saying the diagnosis was "probably the best news that we could have heard," Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.
Analysis: The left-hander doesn't have an official timeline for his return as he begins a period of rest and recovery, but the initial diagnosis in encouraging after he exited Saturday's Grapefruit League game with the injury. A timetable for McClanahan's season debut could come into focus once he resumes a throwing program, but it appears he won't require as significant an absence as first anticipated. |
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