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Brody Hopkins Brody Hopkins Contract selected
Sat, Sep 12, 2026, 11:41 AM
The Rays selected Hopkins' contract from Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Hopkins spent most of the season working in the rotation at Durham, but after struggling as a starter, the team moved him to the bullpen in August. Now that he's pitched six consecutive shutout innings at Triple-A as a reliever, the 24-year-old righty will join the big club to help bolster the Rays' bullpen. He'll be making his MLB debut whenever he gets into a game. |
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Manuel Rodriguez Manuel Rodriguez Rehab assignment scheduled
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 9:38 PM
Rodriguez (back) is expected to join Triple-A Durham for a rehab assignment Sunday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: Rodriguez has been on the injured list since Sept. 3 due to a lower-back strain. If all goes well on his assignment, the right-hander should return to Tampa Bay before the end of the season. He's unlikely to be a factor in fantasy leagues at this point but should bolster the playoff-bound Rays' bullpen during the postseason. |
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Drew Rasmussen Drew Rasmussen Goes seven strong again Friday
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 9:23 PM
Rasmussen did not factor into the decision in Friday's 3-1 win over the Astros, allowing one run on eight hits and no walks with four strikeouts over seven innings.
Analysis: Rasmussen allowed a run in the fourth inning but was otherwise strong despite generating just seven swinging strikes on 92 pitches. It was the 31-year-old's fourth straight quality start and seventh overall in 10 second-half outings. He'll carry a 2.81 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 160:27 K:BB across a career-high 160.1 innings this season into a home matchup with the Athletics next week. |
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Victor Mesa Jr. Victor Mesa Jr. Stays hot in win
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 9:18 PM
Mesa went 1-for-2 with a solo home run, a walk and a stolen base in Friday's 3-1 win over the Astros.
Analysis: Mesa got the Rays on the board with a solo shot in the fifth inning before adding a stolen base in the seventh. The 25-year-old is now riding a modest seven-game hitting streak, delivering three homers, six RBI, six runs scored and three stolen bases during that stretch. For the year, he's slashing .250/.316/.500 with 13 long balls, 28 RBI, 28 runs scored and nine steals across 214 plate appearances. |
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Junior Caminero Junior Caminero Comes up clutch with 40th homer
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 9:12 PM
Caminero went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 3-1 win over the Astros.
Analysis: Caminero reached the 40-homer mark for the second straight season in dramatic fashion, launching a walk-off blast in the bottom of the ninth inning to clinch a playoff berth for the Rays. The 23-year-old slugger has now gone deep in three of his past six games, becoming the first player in the American League to reach 40 long balls this season. Overall, he's slashing .279/.365/.534 with 95 RBI, 90 runs scored and three steals across 643 plate appearances. |
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Gavin Lux Gavin Lux Resumes full activity
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 4:41 PM
Lux (shoulder) has resumed full baseball activity, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Lux has been held out all season by shoulder and ankle injuries, but he seems to be making significant progress in his recovery from left shoulder inflammation that caused him to pause his rehab assignment in mid-July. The Rays still haven't confirmed that Lux will miss the entire 2026 campaign, but with roughly two weeks remaining in the regular season, his chances of returning in time are very slim. |
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Ben Williamson Ben Williamson Resumes baseball activities
Fri, Sep 11, 2026, 3:54 PM
Williamson (hamstring) has resumed baseball activities, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Out since early August with a right hamstring strain, Williamson will work out with the Rays through the weekend and could then begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham next week. If Williamson is able to rejoin the Rays' active roster later this month, he could be used in a short-side platoon role at second base with Richie Palacios. |
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Nick Martinez Nick Martinez Twirls gem in no-decision
Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 1:46 PM
Martinez took a no-decision Thursday against Atlanta, allowing two hits and no walks in 6.1 scoreless innings. He struck out three.
Analysis: Martinez was in cruise control, firing 53 of his 68 pitches for strikes and scattering two singles over 6.1 shutout frames. The right-hander extended his streak of quality starts to four, but it's worth noting he saw his second-lowest workload of 2026 on Thursday as the Rays prepare for the postseason. He'll take a career-best 2.92 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 98:24 K:BB over 166.1 innings into his next scheduled appearance in pitcher-friendly Tampa Bay versus the lowly Athletics. |
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Jorge Mateo Jorge Mateo Stolen base, two RBI in win
Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 9:58 AM
Mateo went 1-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's win against Atlanta.
Analysis: Mateo hit a single in the in the second to bring home two runners and extend Tampa Bay's lead to three versus his old team. The 31-year-old has been getting more playing time with Ben Williamson (hamstring) and Taylor Walls (hip) out with injuries. Since making his Rays debut Aug. 14, Mateo has an insignificant .149 batting average with one home run and seven RBI, but he also has seven stolen bases in 19 games. |
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Victor Mesa Jr. Victor Mesa Jr. First home run since return
Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 9:44 AM
Mesa went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Wednesday's 7-2 win against Atlanta. He was also caught stealing on his one attempt.
Analysis: Mesa popped his first home run since coming off of the injured list (hamstring) at the beginning of September. The left-swinging outfielder has been hot at the plate while hitting .367 (11-for-30) with four RBI since his return, and he's currently sporting a five-game hitting streak. |
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Jonathan Aranda Jonathan Aranda Sitting out versus southpaw
Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 9:00 AM
Aranda is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game in Atlanta.
Analysis: With lefty Martin Perez toeing the rubber for Atlanta in the afternoon tilt, the lefty-swinging Aranda will be given a day to rest. Ryan Vilade is handling first base and will bat second as the Rays try to complete a series sweep. |
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Griffin Jax Griffin Jax Effective in win
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 11:20 PM
Jax (7-10) picked up the win Wednesday over Atlanta, allowing one run off of two hits and a walk over five innings. He struck out two.
Analysis: Jax was still a bit limited this start due to returning from the injured list (elbow), as he only threw 66 pitches (45 strikes), but got through five innings with the only damage coming from a Drake Baldwin homer. The righty improved his ERA to 3.99 and WHIP to 1.24 over 99.1 innings pitched and 20 out of 31 games started. The 31-year-old is slated to pitch next week against the Athletics presumably still on a limited workload. |
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Junior Caminero Junior Caminero Smacks 39th homer of season
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 10:00 AM
Caminero went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs scored in Tuesday's 7-1 win over Atlanta.
Analysis: Caminero opened the scoring by crushing AJ Smith-Shawver's first-inning fastball a Statcast-projected 455 feet to left-center field. The blast was his 39th homer of the season, moving him into sole possession of the AL lead, and it was the second-longest home run of his career. Caminero now needs one more long ball to become the first player in Rays history with multiple 40-homer seasons. |
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Bryan Baker Bryan Baker Moves past illness
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 8:55 AM
Baker (illness) retired the side on nine pitches during the ninth inning of Tuesday's 7-1 win over Atlanta.
Analysis: Baker made an early exit in his most recent relief appearance during Friday's 7-6 win over the Rangers while he battled an illness, but he was able to quickly recover from the ailment. The Rays elected to break their top reliever back in in a low-pressure spot Tuesday, with Baker inducing two flyouts and a groundout to finish out the contest. Baker has been a revelation during his first season as a full-time closer, converting 39 of 42 save chances while pitching to a 1.61 ERA and 0.91 WHIP over 56 innings. |
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Freddy Peralta Freddy Peralta Wins third straight start
Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 8:43 AM
Peralta (8-11) earned the win Tuesday against Atlanta after allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out two over six innings.
Analysis: Peralta navigated a difficult first inning, allowing three consecutive singles before escaping a bases-loaded jam with no further damage than just a run. He settled in from there, retiring 16 of the final 18 batters he faced and completing six innings on 92 total pitches. Peralta has now won three consecutive starts while allowing just two runs across 18 innings during that stretch, continuing his strong turnaround since joining Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. |
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Hunter Bigge Hunter Bigge Designated for assignment
Tue, Sep 8, 2026, 3:22 PM
The Rays designated Bigge for assignment Tuesday.
Analysis: The transaction frees a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Nick Madrigal. Bigge has looked like a high-leverage reliever at times but has struggled in 2026, posting a 6.98 ERA and 14:14 K:BB over 19.1 innings with the Rays and a 6.14 ERA and 37:20 K:BB over 29.1 frames with Triple-A Durham. The 28-year-old is under team control for several more years and could drawn interest via waivers. |
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Nick Madrigal Nick Madrigal Added to MLB roster
Tue, Sep 8, 2026, 3:15 PM
The Rays selected Madrigal's contract from Triple-A Durham on Tuesday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
Analysis: The 29-year-old joined Tampa Bay on a minor-league deal in late June and will now get a look with the big club. Madrigal posted a .273/.385/.295 slash line in 52 plate appearances for the Angels earlier this season and was hitting well for Durham with an .818 OPS in 47 contests. He'll provide infield depth to help cover the loss of Taylor Walls (hip) who was placed on the injured list Tuesday. |
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Oliver Dunn Oliver Dunn Sent outright to Triple-A
Tue, Sep 8, 2026, 3:03 PM
The Rays outrighted Dunn to Triple-A Durham on Tuesday.
Analysis: Dunn cleared waivers after being booted off the 40-man roster, and he has accepted an outright assignment. The 29-year-old has spent nearly all of the season at the Triple-A level, putting up a .794 OPS. |
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Taylor Walls Taylor Walls Shelved by hip flexor strain
Tue, Sep 8, 2026, 2:58 PM
The Rays placed Walls on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right hip flexor strain, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
Analysis: Walls didn't play in his team's last game Sunday, so it seems he's been dealing with the injury for a few days. He'll be eligible to return Sept. 18, but it's unclear whether Walls has a chance to be ready on that date. Jorge Mateo will likely handle the bulk of the reps at shortstop while Walls is shelved. |
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Chandler Simpson Chandler Simpson Approaching 40-steal mark
Sun, Sep 6, 2026, 5:54 PM
Simpson went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's 8-6 loss to the Rangers.
Analysis: Simpson logged his first steal of September in the seventh inning of this contest. He's been putting bat to ball fairly well lately, logging eight multi-hit efforts over his last 14 games. The light-hitting speedster is 39-for-53 on the basepaths this season while batting .308 with a .696 OPS, 31 RBI, 57 runs scored, 14 doubles, six triples and no home runs over 135 games. |
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