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Taylor Walls Taylor Walls Battling hyperextended fingers
Wed, Jul 22, 2026, 9:19 PM
Walls was diagnosed with hyperextended middle and ring fingers on his left hand following Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
Analysis: Walls suffered the injury while sliding into second base in the fifth inning. He was able to play through the injury and finish the game, but manager Kevin Cash said after the game that Walls will likely sit out Thursday's series finale as a precaution. Ben Williamson will likely fill in as Tampa Bay's shortstop and could continue to do so if Walls is forced to miss any additional starts. |
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Chandler Simpson Chandler Simpson Back in No. 5 spot
Wed, Jul 22, 2026, 4:05 PM
Simpson will start in left field and bat fifth in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Rays manager Kevin Cash dropped Simpson to sixth in the order Tuesday, but the speedy outfielder will jump back up to fifth after he banged out a season-high four hits in Tampa Bay's 12-2 win. Simpson has been on fire coming out of the All-Star break, going 9-for-19 with two doubles, one walk, two stolen bases, three runs and one RBI through five contests. |
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Ben Williamson Ben Williamson Sitting after four-hit game
Wed, Jul 22, 2026, 4:00 PM
Williamson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Richie Palacios will check back in at second base Wednesday while Williamson retreats to the bench following a big performance in Tuesday's 12-2 win. Williamson delivered his second four-hit game in his last five starts, bringing his batting average up to .257 on the campaign. |
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Nick Fortes Nick Fortes Homer, four RBI in rout
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 10:01 PM
Fortes went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 12-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Analysis: Fortes launched a three-run shot in the fifth inning before adding an RBI single in the ninth. The home run was the 29-year-old's second in as many games, and he's now driven in six runs while hitting safely in three straight contests. On the season, he's slashing .266/.308/.369 with four homers, 25 RBI and 27 runs scored across 239 plate appearances. |
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Jonny DeLuca Jonny DeLuca Stolen base, three RBI in win
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 9:55 PM
DeLuca went 2-for-6 with three RBI, one run scored and a stolen base in Tuesday's 12-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Analysis: DeLuca opened the scoring with a two-run single in the first inning before driving in another run with a base hit in the fourth. The 28-year-old has now logged three straight two-hit efforts, tallying six RBI with two extra-base hits and a steal during that span. On the season, he's slashing .261/.295/.435 with six homers, 31 RBI, 24 runs scored and 10 stolen bases across 195 plate appearances. |
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Yandy Diaz Yandy Diaz Goes deep in rout
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 9:49 PM
Diaz went 2-for-6 with a home run, three RBI and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 12-2 win over the Blue Jays.
Analysis: Diaz singled and scored in the fourth inning before launching a three-run blast in the ninth. The 34-year-old has batted just .219 through 17 July contests, but he's hit safely in three of four games since the All-Star break, including back-to-back two-hit efforts. On the year, he's slashing .312/.388/.476 with 14 homers, 60 RBI, 55 runs scored and two steals across 423 plate appearances. |
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Drew Rasmussen Drew Rasmussen Opens second half with win
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 9:29 PM
Rasmussen (8-5) earned the win against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts over five innings.
Analysis: Rasmussen was staked an early lead and cruised through five innings before allowing three straight hits to open the sixth, departing without recording an out and being charged with two runs in the frame. It was still an encouraging outing for the 30-year-old, who had yielded 11 earned runs over his first two July starts. He'll take a 3.28 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 103:18 K:BB across 104.1 innings this season into a home matchup with the Guardians this weekend. |
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Richie Palacios Richie Palacios Out of Tuesday's lineup
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 3:48 PM
Palacios is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays.
Analysis: Palacios started the previous three contests and will receive a day off after going 2-for-10 with two walks, a double, a steal and one run during that span. Ben Williamson is picking up a start at the keystone Tuesday and is batting seventh against Toronto righty Kevin Gausman. |
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Hunter Feduccia Hunter Feduccia Sitting against righty
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 3:33 PM
Feduccia is absent from the lineup for Tuesday's game in Toronto.
Analysis: It's the second straight day that the left-handed-hitting Feduccia is not starting against a righty hurler (in this case, Kevin Gausman). Nick Fortes will get another start after going 2-for-4 with a homer in Monday's series opener. |
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Victor Mesa Jr. Victor Mesa Jr. Absent from lineup
Tue, Jul 21, 2026, 3:30 PM
Mesa is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game in Toronto.
Analysis: Mesa had homered in three straight contests -- including in Monday's series opener -- but he'll grab a seat Tuesday. Jonny DeLuca will handle right field for the Rays. |
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Nick Fortes Nick Fortes Cracks third homer of season
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 9:42 PM
Fortes went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored during Monday's 7-1 win over Toronto.
Analysis: Fortes put the exclamation mark on the Rays' convincing win with a solo home run off Brendon Little in the ninth inning. It was just the third home run of the season for Fortes, who is slashing .258/.302/.350 with 21 RBI across 234 plate appearances. |
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Victor Mesa Jr. Victor Mesa Jr. Homers in third-straight game
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 9:39 PM
Mesa went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during the Rays' 7-1 win over the Blue Jays on Monday.
Analysis: Mesa got the Rays' offense in gear with a solo homer off Dylan Cease in the first inning. Mesa has gone yard in three consecutive games, and five of his eight home runs this season have come over his last nine appearances. He has a .779 OPS with three steals and 15 RBI over 116 plate appearances this season. |
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Cedric Mullins Cedric Mullins Goes yard in Toronto
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 9:36 PM
Mullins went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during the Rays' 7-1 win over the Blue Jays on Monday.
Analysis: Mullins gave the Rays a 5-1 lead in the sixth after belting a solo home run off Dylan Cease. It was the 12th time Mullins has gone long this season, though he's just 3-for-35 (.086) with two solo home runs and 11 strikeouts over his last 10 outings. |
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Junior Caminero Junior Caminero Collects three hits vs. Toronto
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 9:33 PM
Caminero went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and a walk during Monday's 7-1 win over the Blue Jays.
Analysis: Caminero extended Tampa Bay's lead to 4-1 in the fifth with an RBI single before driving home another run on a double in the seventh. It was his 27th multi-hit game of the season and his sixth outings with three hits. Caminero has reached base safely in nine consecutive games, and over that span he has gone 12-for-34 (.353) with one steal, three home runs, four doubles, six RBI and six runs scored. |
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Nick Martinez Nick Martinez Earns win despite zero strikeouts
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 9:30 PM
Martinez (9-2) came away with the win against Toronto on Monday, allowing one run on six hits and one walk over six scoreless innings. He did not strike out a batter.
Analysis: Monday marked the fifth start in Martinez's career that he did not record a strikeout, with the last instance taking place as a member of the Rangers against the Mariners on Aug. 1, 2017. The lack of punchouts didn't matter for the veteran right-hander, who came away with his 10th quality start of the season, and he has allowed one earned run in three of his last four appearances. His outing in Toronto brought his ERA down to 2.59 across 111.1 innings, which is sixth-best in the majors among qualified starters. Martinez is slated to take on the Guardians at home this weekend. |
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Hunter Feduccia Hunter Feduccia Taking seat Monday
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 3:43 PM
Feduccia is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: The left-handed-hitting Feduccia was held out of the starting nine against left-handed pitchers on two occasions during the Rays' four-game series with the Red Sox over the weekend, but the backstop will hit the bench Monday while right-hander Dylan Cease toes the rubber for the Blue Jays. Nick Fortes will handle catching duties in the series opener. |
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Pro debut delayed
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 2:51 PM
Blanco has yet to make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League due to a stress fracture in his lower back, Ian Cundall of Baseball America reports.
Analysis: Blanco was one of the Rays' top international signees on Jan. 15, and given how cautious teams usually are with young players coming back from injury, it's possible he doesn't make his pro debut until 2027. |
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Begins rehab assignment
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 2:48 PM
Santana (hamstring) began a rehab assignment Friday with the Florida Complex League Rays, Ian Cundall of Baseball America reports.
Analysis: High-A Bowling Green placed Santana on the 7-day injured list June 6 with a hamstring strain. Known for his slick defense at shortstop, the switch-hitting Santana slashed .309/.379/.393 with a career-high three home runs and career-best 10.3 percent strikeout rate while notching 21 steals in 47 games prior to the injury. |
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Likely done for season
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 2:36 PM
Pierce had left shoulder surgery and is likely done for the season, Ian Cundall of Baseball America reports.
Analysis: Pierce was a league average hitter (100 wRC+) in 34 games for Single-A Charleston prior to the serious shoulder injury. He slashed .252/.336/.390 with four home runs, six steals and a 28.6 percent strikeout rate in 34 games and is expected to have a normal offseason. |
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Embarks on rehab assignment
Mon, Jul 20, 2026, 2:33 PM
Gray, who had surgery to remove a bone chip in his right elbow, has gone 1-for-8 through three rehab games in the Florida Complex League.
Analysis: Per Ian Cundall of Baseball America, Gray should be back in action for Single-A Charleston before the end of the month. Prior to the midseason surgery, Gray slashed .286/.406/.474 with six home runs, four steals, a 21.9 percent strikeout rate and a 16.1 percent walk rate in 49 games. He received just under $1 million when the Rays selected him in the third round last year and won't turn 19 until mid-August. |
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