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Manuel Rodriguez Manuel Rodriguez Placed on injured list
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 5:45 PM
The Rays placed Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list Friday with a lower-back strain, retroactive to Thursday.
Analysis: Rodriguez has given up two earned runs and struck out eight batters in 4.2 innings since making his season debut Aug. 24, but he'll now head back to the injured list after tweaking his back. Cole Sulser (back) was reinstated from the 15-day IL in a corresponding move to take Rodriguez's place in the Rays' bullpen. |
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Cole Sulser Cole Sulser Returns from IL
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 5:42 PM
The Rays reinstated Sulser (back) from the injured list Friday.
Analysis: Out since late July with lower-back spasms, Sulser began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham on Aug. 19 and has since given up two earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out seven batters over seven innings. Now fully healthy, he'll reclaim a middle-relief role in Tampa Bay's bullpen and replace Manuel Rodriguez (back) on the active roster. |
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Oliver Dunn Oliver Dunn Jettisoned from 40-man roster
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 3:34 PM
The Rays designated Dunn for assignment Saturday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
Analysis: The move corresponds with Garrett Cleavinger (forearm) being placed on the 15-day injured list and the Rays selecting Ty Johnson's contract from Triple-A Buffalo. Dunn has spent the majority of the 2026 season in Triple-A, where he is slashing .243/.350/.444 with 18 steals (in 22 attempts), 19 home runs and 63 RBI over 452 plate appearances. |
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Contract selected by Tampa Bay
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 3:32 PM
The Rays selected Johnson's contract from Triple-A Durham on Saturday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
Analysis: The Rays filled the spot in their bullpen vacated by Garrett Cleavinger, who was placed on the 15-day injured list due to left forearm tightness. Johnson has made 21 appearances (10 starts) in Triple-A this season, where he has a 3.03 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over 62.1 innings. His first appearance for the Rays will officially mark his major-league debut. |
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Garrett Cleavinger Garrett Cleavinger Lands on 15-day IL with forearm tightness
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 3:27 PM
The Rays placed Cleavinger on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to left forearm tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: The 32-year-old southpaw may have picked up the injury during Friday's outing against the Rangers, when he allowed two runs on two hits (including a home run) and a walk while failing to record an out. He's eligible to return from the IL on Sept. 20, and he expressed confidence Saturday that he would pitch again this season, per Ryan Bass of Rays.tv. Right-hander Ty Johnson had his contract selected from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. |
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Richie Palacios Richie Palacios Belts solo shot
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 10:15 AM
Palacios went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Friday's 7-6 win over the Rangers.
Analysis: Palacios recorded his second homer in the past three games after launching a solo shot off Kumar Rocker in the fourth inning. The 29-year-old's seven homers this season are now a career high, breaking his previous record of six in 2023 with St. Louis. This year, Palacios is batting .225/.320/.348 with seven homers, 42 RBI and 11 stolen bases. |
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Jonathan Aranda Jonathan Aranda Rockets homer No. 18
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 10:11 AM
Aranda went 2-for-4 with a solo homer, RBI double, two runs scored and two strikeouts during Friday's 7-6 win over Texas.
Analysis: Aranda knotted the score at one in the third inning after launching a solo shot off Kumar Rocker. The 28-year-old then laced an RBI double to extend Tampa Bay's lead in the fifth. On the season, Aranda is slashing .277/.361/.424 with 18 homers and 82 RBI in 596 plate appearances. |
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Tyler Wells Tyler Wells Notches sixth save
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 10:06 AM
Wells registered a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his sixth save of the season in a 7-6 win over Texas.
Analysis: Wells recorded his sixth straight appearance without allowing an earned run, and his 15th time in his last 16 outings. The right-hander was called on with no outs and two runners on in the ninth after Bryan Baker failed to record an out. In 11 games with Tampa Bay, Wells owns a 1.93 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 13:4 K:BB and two saves over 14 innings. |
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Nick Martinez Nick Martinez Picks up win No. 14
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 9:58 AM
Martinez (14-4) earned the win Friday over Texas, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. He struck out four.
Analysis: Martinez made his 27th start Friday, the most he has ever registered in a single season. The 36-year-old recorded his third straight quality start in a win over the Rangers. The right-hander now owns a 3.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 95:24 K:BB in 160 innings this season. Martinez is slated to make his next start Thursday against Atlanta. |
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Bryan Baker Bryan Baker Battling illness
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 10:27 PM
Rays manager Kevin Cash said after Friday's game against the Rangers that Baker was removed due to illness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: "Nothing physical," Cash stressed, which is music to the ears of Baker's fantasy managers. Baker walked both batters he faced before being removed from a save situation Friday. He leads the majors in saves with 39 this season, four more than anyone else. |
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Bryan Baker Bryan Baker Leaves game with trainer
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 10:10 PM
Baker left Friday's game against the Rangers with an apparent injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Major League Baseball's saves leader walked both batters he faced before exiting alongside the Rays' head athletic trainer. Tyler Wells took over for Baker in the ninth inning and closed the door for his sixth save of the season and second since joining Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. |
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Alex Cook Alex Cook Back with Tampa Bay
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 4:23 PM
The Rays recalled Cook from Triple-A Durham on Friday.
Analysis: Just two days after being sent down to Durham, Cook is back with the big-league club Friday. The 25-year-old has made just two starts in the majors, but in Triple-A he owns a 4.64 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 46:15 K:BB over 42.2 innings. With Shane McClanahan (forearm) sidelined for at least 15 days, Cook will take his spot on the 26-man roster. |
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Shane McClanahan Shane McClanahan Sidelined with forearm tightness
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 4:18 PM
Tampa Bay placed McClanahan on the 15-day injured list Friday with left forearm tightness.
Analysis: McClanahan will make his second trip to the IL in the last three months after allowing four earned runs over five innings Thursday against the Rangers. In his first big-league action since 2023, McClanahan owns a 10-7 record this season with a 3.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 106:39 K:BB over 118 innings. With the 29-year-old on the shelf, the Rays recalled Alex Cook from Triple-A Durham to bolster the bullpen. |
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Victor Mesa Jr. Victor Mesa Jr. Sitting Thursday
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 4:32 PM
The Rays don't have Mesa in the lineup Thursday against the Rangers.
Analysis: Mesa has gone 3-for-8 across the two games he's played in since returning from a strained left hamstring Tuesday. He'll get some rest Thursday while Jonny DeLuca gets the start in right field and bats fifth. |
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Taylor Walls Taylor Walls Idle Thursday
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 4:28 PM
Walls is not in the lineup against the Rangers on Thursday.
Analysis: Walls had started in the Rays' last six games, in which he went 7-for-20 with two RBI and two stolen bases. He's getting a breather Thursday while Jorge Mateo starts at shortstop and bats seventh. |
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Liam Hicks Liam Hicks Absent from lineup Thursday
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 4:23 PM
Hicks is not in the lineup against the Rangers on Thursday.
Analysis: Hicks went 2-for-8 with an RBI in the Rays' last series against the Mets that concluded Wednesday. The catcher is set to get some rest Thursday while Nick Fortes starts behind the plate and bats ninth. |
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Richie Palacios Richie Palacios Cracks two-run homer Wednesday
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 8:56 PM
Palacios went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer during the Rays' 10-4 loss to the Mets on Wednesday.
Analysis: Wednesday's game turned out to be a blowout loss for the Rays, but Palacios' two-run homer in the fourth inning cut Tampa Bay's deficit to 6-4. It was his first home run since Aug. 3 against the Rockies and his first runs driven in since Aug. 19 against Toronto. His home run could be what Palacios needs to break out of his slump, as he entered the game having gone 1-for-25 over his eight prior outings. |
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Griffin Jax Griffin Jax Struggles in return from IL
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 8:51 PM
Jax (6-10) took the loss against the Mets on Wednesday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out one batter across 2.2 innings.
Analysis: Jax was activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Wednesday's start after a one-month absence due to elbow discomfort. He put the Rays on the back foot early by allowing three runs in the first inning before allowing three more runs to score in the third frame on a bases-clearing double by Brett Baty. It wasn't the outing that Jax was hoping for, and he'll look for better results in his next outing, which lines up for next week on the road against Atlanta. |
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Alex Cook Alex Cook Sent back to Durham
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 1:22 PM
The Rays optioned Cook to Triple-A Durham on Wednesday.
Analysis: Cook's stint in the big leagues lasted just one day, and he didn't make an appearance. He is clearing off the active roster to make space for the return of Griffin Jax (elbow), who will start Wednesday against the Mets. |
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Griffin Jax Griffin Jax Activated before Wednesday's start
Wed, Sep 2, 2026, 1:20 PM
The Rays activated Jax (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
Analysis: Jax is set to rejoin the Rays' rotation with a start Wednesday against the Mets at home. The right-hander has been shelved since early August with elbow discomfort but came out of his lone rehab start with no issues. Jax threw only 42 pitches in that outing, so his workload will be limited Wednesday. |
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