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| Willy Aybar had three hits including his eighth home run of the year in the Rays 3-2 victory over the Jays. |
Our View: Aybar is hitting .282 with four home runs and 11 RBI in August, and while that may not match what the club was getting from Evan Longoria, Aybar has still done a fine job filling in for the superstar rookie. |
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| Edwin Jackson looked tremendous on Thursday going seven strong innings to pick up his 11th "W" of the year. Jackson allowed only one run on the night and threw 70 of 106 balls for strikes. |
Our View: Jackson remains a borderline value in mixed leagues due to low strikeout totals (5.34 K/9) and an average WHIP (1.42). He certainly has the talent to rip off a run of success, and he has gone four starts allowing two or fewer runs. |
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| Dioner Navarro was again out of the starting lineup on Thursday due to the lingering cramps in his hamstrings, though he hopes to be able to return to action on Saturday, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Navarro could be used in a pinch if needed, but the team is comfortable in giving him a couple more days off to make sure that this issue doesn't become a substantial concern. |
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| Troy Percival is another step closer to returning to the Rays. Percival, who has been on the DL with cartilage damage in his right knee, threw live batting practice off the mound today and according to the Tampa Tribune is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday. |
Our View: If the Rays feel like Percival has made big enough strides in his rehab he could be activated on Saturday, if not they could just wait until the rosters expand on September 1. |
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| Dioner Navarro underwent a MRI on Wednesday after he had been suffering from some cramping hamstrings. According to The Tampa Tribune the results of the MRI showed nothing wrong and just a little rest should be the cure for the All-Star backstop. |
Our View: Navarro got Wednesday off and looks like right now he will be out of the lineup tonight also. |
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| Tampa Bay RHP Matt Garza was at the top of his game this evening, pitching his Rays to the 1-0 victory over Toronto. Garza pitched 7 2/3 innings, allowing no runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts. |
Our View: Garza has two wins over his last three starts, giving up a total of 15 hits over 23 1/3 innings with four earned runs allowed. He has not allowed a home run since August 9th and carries 10 walks versus 26 strikeouts over the span. |
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| The Rays and Blue Jays fought through a real barnburner this evening, sharing 11 hits between 'em as Tampa Bay pulled the 1-0 win, thanks to the bat of first baseman Carlos Pena. Pena went 2-for-3 at the dish (one of two multi-hit candidates between both teams tonight), including his 27th homer of the season to push the Rays to the win. |
Our View: Pena has matched last month's strong power numbers, hitting seven homers for 18 RBIs in July only to turn it up with eight homers and 23 RBIs thus far through August. |
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| Dioner Navarro was out of Wednesday night's starting lineup, but Rays manager Joe Maddon said the backstop was available off the bench if necessary, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The club's starting catcher, Navarro left Tuesday night's game in the bottom of the sixth inning with cramping in both hamstrings. Fortunately, the already injury-plagued Rays caught a break when an MRI on his legs came back clean. Although Maddon said he wanted to "back up" by giving Navarro some rest, the skipper didn't rule out using the switch-hitting Navarro if necessary during Wednesday's contest against the Blue Jays. |
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| Dioner Navarro's MRI revealed no serious problems to his hamstrings, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: His status is day-to-day, he shouldn't miss any extended period of time. Look for this All-star to get back on track whenever he returns to the lineup. |
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| The Rays continue to struggle without their stars, falling 6-2 versus the Toronto Blue Jays despite a nice outing from RHP James Shields. Shields pitched 6 2/3 innings, surrendering four runs (all earned) on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts. |
Our View: This serves as Shields' first lost of the month and one of just two losses over his last eight starts. During that span, he has surrendered just 11 walks, balanced by 39 strikeouts. |
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| Troy Percival, who is on the DL with cartilage damage in his right knee, played long toss Monday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Executive VP Andrew Friedman thought it went well. |
Our View: The 39-year-old reliever said last week that he was hoping to be ready to return when he's eligible to come off the DL on Saturday. |
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| Rays' executive VP Andrew Friedman believes Evan Longoria is progressing favorably from his fractured right wrist, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Friedman added, "He's going to work his way back into baseball activities."
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Our View: The team should have a better idea within a week as to when he can return. |
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| Rocco Baldelli went 2-for-5 and his his first home run of the season in the Rays 6-5 loss to the White Sox. |
Our View: Baldelli has loads of talent, but he will see irregular playing time as the team tries to keep him healthy, which is a blow to his fantasy status. |
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| J.P. Howell is feeling better after his heavy workload has been lightened, according to the Tampa Tribune. He said, "I was getting back spasms, leg cramps, one day it was one thing, the next day another. I could feel it a couple weeks ago, little things just popping up, and I kind of hit a wall and decided to just cut back. It's my first time in this territory." After some much needed rest (about a week) he said, "I'm just glad to be rested up, man. It was definitely a learning experience."
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Our View: This is encouraging news for one of the league's best middle relievers. He holds a 6-0 record (with two saves) over 69.2 innings, with 72 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP. |
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| Edwin Jackson walked five White Sox but overcame it to go six innings and allow just two earned runs to lead Tampa Bay to a 9-4 win over Chicago. |
Our View: Jackson is on a great run, and has provided fantasy owners with a win in five of his last six starts. |
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| Rocco Baldelli will spend the rest of the season in a platoon situation, playing only when left-handed pitchers are throwing, according to RaysBaseball.com. |
Our View: Baldelli is hitting .250, but in just 16 at-bats this year. Playing in a platoon will hurt his fantasy value, but he is certainly an intriguing player for owners to consider. |
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| Carl Crawford is hoping for a quick return after undergoing surgery last week on his right middle knuckle, according to the Tampa Tribune. The star outfielder said, "I'm going to try my best to get back as soon as possible. I don't know how the rehab is going to go, I don't know how it's going to heal, but I'm definitely hoping for the best and I'm going to do what I can to get back on the field."
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Our View: He is scheduled to begin therapy by the end of the week. He wants to return, but there is doubt he will be able to do so. Tampa Bay currently holds a 4.5 game lead ahead of Boston in the AL East. |
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| Tampa RHP Matt Garza put his best on the mound this evening but it was just a bit short of need to get the win over the Angels, falling 5-4. Garza pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits with four walks and seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Garza has not posted consecutive wins since late May. However, in four starts this month he has surrendered just nine walks versus 25 strikeout. |
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| Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford will visit a therapist in St. Petersburg on Thursday, at which time a plan for his rehab program will be mapped out, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Crawford's injury occurred when he checked his swing on a 3-1 pitch from J.J. Putz in the 10th inning of the Rays' Aug. 9 contest in Seattle. The injury was located at the base of the middle finger of his right hand at the joint connecting the finger to the hand. The tendon used to straighten the finger came out of its groove, which caused the finger to lock into position when he bent it downward. It has been speculated that Crawford could return by the team's final series of the season against the Tigers in Detroit, but he could not say whether that would be a realistic expectation. |
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| B.J. Upton has been criticized for not playing hard and suffering from "mental lapses," but he stated that he wants to move on, according to the Tampa Tribune. Upton said, "The last thing I want to become is a distraction to this team. We've got something way too good going on right now to have to deal with this. We just want to win ballgames and right now I think I'm becoming a distraction. I just can't let it happen, for my sake and for the team's sake so we can move on and get where we need to be."
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Our View: Upton is doing a good job of moving on, as he is hitting .375 (9-for-24) over his last five games, with one homer and five RBI. |
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| James Shields improved to 11-6 with a win over the Angels on Tuesday night. He allowed a solo homer in the first inning and an RBI double in the fourth, but the right-hander finished with only those two runs against over eight innings. Shields gave up nine hits and struck out seven. |
Our View: Shields has been brilliant against the vaunted Angels this year, posting a 2.88 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 24 strikeouts, and 21 hits allowed over 25.0 innings. The Rays will need him to stay strong if they hope to close out the AL East and beat the Angels this postseason. |
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| B.J. Upton is in the lineup and hitting second for Tuesday's game against the Angels. |
Our View: We're just making sure fantasy owners know he is playing, as Upton has earned some bench time with his recent lack of hustle. |
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| B.J. Upton has apologized for his latest episode of failing to hustle, according to the Tampa Tribune. His leisurely gait from home to second base resulted in him being thrown out on Monday. It was one of four recent incidents where he failed to hustle. "It can’t happen, especially in the middle of a pennant race. Every run matters, every out matters. I want to apologize for it. It’s just something that can’t happen," Upton said. |
Our View: Apologizing is a good first step, but he needs to prove it out on the field. Manager Joe Maddon laid the issue in the hands of the players, and teammate Cliff Floyd responded, saying how much it bothered him. Maybe Upton finally got the message. |
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| The Tampa Bay Rays game against the Los Angeles Angels will go on as scheduled Tuesday night, as Tropical Storm Fay did not hit the city hard, according to RaysBaseball.com. |
Our View: There had been talk of a Wednesday doubleheader between the two clubs should Fay have caused problems, but that will no longer be necessary. |
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| Prized pitching prospect David Price had trouble with his control, walking four batters in his second start at the Triple-A level, according to the St. Petersburg Times. In the game, Price went five innings, gave up three runs on five hits and struck out three. |
Our View: It had been anticipated that Price would be with the Rays sometime soon, and though that may still be the case, he is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in Triple-A, possibly causing the team to re-think that move. |
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| Despite the lack of hustle that led B.J. Upton to get thrown out at second base in Monday's contest, he will play on Tuesday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Upton has pleased fantasy owners with his 36 stolen bases and .380 OBP, but his manager and teammates are getting sick of his laziness. Hopefully he will take the issue to heart this time around. |
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| Cliff Floyd is not happy with outfielder B.J. Upton and his penchant for jogging around the bases instead of hustling, according to the St. Petersburg Times. "We're sitting here talking about why a guy didn't run out a ball — that's crazy. ... my heart's a little jacked up with that. It bothered me," he said. |
Our View: Upton has now been caught failing to hustle numerous times in the past few weeks. Rays manager Joe Maddon has basically washed his hands of the situation, saying it was something for other players to deal with, and it looks like Floyd is taking advantage of the opportunity. |
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| Willy Aybar had three hits and scored two runs in the Rays' 6-4 win over the Angels Monday. |
Our View: The Rays haven't missed Evan Longoria as much as they thought they would with how well Aybar has performed. He's batting .367 with three homers and seven RBI over the last eight games. |
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| Dan Wheeler picked up the save Monday for the second straight day, working a perfect ninth while striking out one in a 6-4 win over the Angels. |
Our View: It appears that Wheeler is the man for saves while Troy Percival is sidelined. |
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| B.J. Upton was thrown out at second base Monday on what should have been an easy double had Upton been hustling, according to the AP. Upton hit a ball in the fourth inning that hit the wall on a hop. Apparently thinking it would be a home run, Upton jogged out of the box and towards an uncovered second base. But first baseman Mark Teixeira followed the play up the line and tagged Upton just before he touched second. |
Our View: This is the fourth time Upton was caught not hustling, though this time he wasn't taken out of the game. Still, this is becoming a bad trend for the talented center fielder. |
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| The Rays are hoping that Evan Longoria will return to the team when rosters expand on September 1, according to MLB.com. Longoria has been out since August 7 with the injury. "The stiffness that's there now wasn't there before," Longoria said. "Like I said, I think it just took the time to set in and now I've just got to wait for it to heal." |
Our View: We'll continue to track Longoria's rehab progress. |
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| Al Reyes has declined an assignment to Triple-A Durham and is now a free agent, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Reyes was disappointing this year, but he should be able to catch on with a team looking for right-handed relief help down the stretch. |
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| Updating an earlier report, Troy Percival will not require surgery to repair cartilage damage on his right knee, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: It has been determined that enough progress had been made the previous few days to avoid surgery. He is still expected to miss 2-4 weeks of action.
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| Troy Percival could undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but he was hoping it wouldn't be necessary, according to the Tampa Tribune. He said, "It's very possible surgery will be necessary. But I felt good today, played catch, had pain, but nothing that's debilitating."
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Our View: Percival made about 40 throws Sunday and didn't feel well enough to pitch, but thinks he will be able to in another day if he continues to progress as he has since receiving a cortisone shot Friday. We will keep you posted on his status.
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| With Tropical Storm Fay expected to move up the Gulf Coast during the next two days and possibly reach hurricane strength, the Rays were in contact Sunday with Angels and MLB officials about backup plans for the series that begins tonight at Tropicana Field, according to the Tampa Tribune. Rays' president Matt Silverman said tonight's matchup will definitely be played, but the status of the final two games is in question.
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Our View: The Rays should know tonight whether Tuesday's game will be played. There is a possibility the Angels might fly to Atlanta or Miami following Monday's game to get clear of the storm if Tuesday's game is postponed, then return to play Wednesday if necessary. A doubleheader Wednesday is unlikely and any games that had to be postponed likely would be made up September 1, which is a mutual off day for the Rays and Angels. There has not been any discussion about moving the series to a different venue.
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| The pitching was solid but outfielder B.J. Upton made sure the offense was in check as the Rays put the 7-4 win on the board versus Texas. Upton went 3-for-5 at the plate with his 28th double and eighth homer of the season, totaling three RBIs and two runs scored. |
Our View: Upton had no homers last month and was touting just one in August before this evening. His offense has failed to impress as hoped, though he continues to enhance the effort with stolen bases (13 since July 1). |
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| Scott Kazmir was once again in charge on the mound this evening as the Rays put the Rangers to sleep, 7-4. Kazmir pitched six innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four walks and seven strikeouts. |
Our View: Kazmir gets the win to move to 9-6 on the season, touting an impressive 3.21 ERA. He had not won since July 21st, suffering three no-decisions and one loss in four starts since. He's not nearly as dominating as he was early in the season, but Kazmir continues to give his team a chance to win. |
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| B.J. Upton will return to the lineup on Sunday, the Tampa Tribune reports. |
Our View: The youngster was reprimanded with a bench spot on Saturday after he failed to hustle on Friday. Hopefully B.J. learned the lesson. |
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| B.J. Upton was removed from the game for a second time in a week for failing to hustle on Friday, and he will be benched again on Saturday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Rays manager Joe Maddon explained it, saying, "I can’t make it any more plain, simple, obvious, black and white. There are no gray areas. I can’t have Aki (Iwamura) run like he is and (Carlos) Pena and Cliff (Floyd), who has two bad knees, etc., and permit that. I can’t permit it.” |
Our View: Upton will learn one way or another that Maddon wants his squad to play a certain way, and he will sit if he does not. Fantasy owners who enjoy his numbers can only hope that he retains the information this time. |
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| B.J. Upton was pulled from Friday's game in the sixth inning for failing to hustle while attempting to beat out a double play. |
Our View: It's the second time in the last week that he's been benched for failing to give maximum effort. We could see Joe Maddon bench him tomorrow to send a message. |
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| Matt Garza took a no-hitter into the sixth inning Friday and finished the game by allowing only two hits and two walks while striking out nine in a shutout of the Rangers. |
Our View: This is Garza's fourth complete game and second shutout of the season. He now boasts a 3.63 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. |
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| Troy Percival is expected to miss 2-4 weeks because of the knee injury that has landed him on the DL, according to the St. Petersburg Times. VP Andrew Friedman said regarding Percival's knee that there is "cartilage involvement" that is "not a tear." A decision will be made soon on whether Percvial should have surgery or go through rehab and get a cortisone shot. |
Our View: If Percival has surgery, you'd have to think his season would be over. We'll let you know what the club decides. |
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| Jason Bartlett is back in the lineup Friday for the first time since August 3. He has been out with a bone bruise on his finger. |
Our View: If steals are your bag, then stick Jason back in your lineup right away. That's the only thing he offers fantasy owners. |
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| Juan Salas has been recalled from Triple-A to fill the roster spot for Troy Percival, who has been placed on the 15-day DL due to his sprained right knee, this according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: The 30-year-old will work out of the bullpen and is only worth consideration in deeper AL-only leagues that use middle men. |
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| Updating an earlier report, Troy Percival has landed on the 15-day DL due to his sprained right knee, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Juan Salas has been recalled from Triple-A as the corresponding move. |
Our View: Grant Balfour is believed to be a top candidate for the closer's role while he is out, with Dan Wheeler also in the competition. There is no indication yet as to how long Percival will be out. |
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| Troy Percival could be headed back to the DL due to a sprained right knee, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: He was seen on crutches with his right knee in a compression brace after suffering the injury Thursday. Percival will be re-evaluated Friday, and a DL stint is probable. Grant Balfour would be a top candidate to take over his closer's role. |
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| Dioner Navarro hit a single in the 12th inning that put the Rays up 7-5 over Oakland, and it wound up being the game winner as Tampa would go on to a 7-6 victory. Navarro was 2-for-4 with two RBI on the day. |
Our View: Navarro saw his average in August rise 30 points, from .179 to .209 with his performance today. Navarro had really struggled producing runs in July, but his eight RBI this month are now twice the amount he had in July. |
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| James Shields did not factor into the decision, but he was not sharp, allowing ten base runners, four of which scored, on five hits and five walks in five innings pitched as the Rays beat the A's 7-6. |
Our View: Shields has had a very good year, and this game was uncharacteristic of Shields as he was averaging just 1.42 walks per nine innings prior to today. |
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| Rays closer Troy Percival had to leave the game in the ninth inning because of an apparent leg injury, according to RaysBaseball.com. |
Our View: The extent of the injury was not known. Grant Balfour replaced Percival and promptly blew the save. |
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| Carl Crawford is scheduled have outpatient surgery by Dr. Donald Sheridan this afternoon in Phoenix to repair the radial sagittal band of tissue that is supposed to hold in place the tendon on his right middle finger, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Crawford will need six to eight weeks to recover and is likely to miss the rest of the regular season. |
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| Jason Bartlett has been cleared to resume playing at shortstop, according to the St. Petersburg Times. His throws still aren't perfect, but they are good enough for him to return to the field. He said, "Obviously it doesn't feel great, but I'm throwing, I can actually throw. The only bad thing there's cutters, and they're sailing a lot. It's just a matter of trying to get that feeling back again."
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Our View: Despite extensive treatment, Bartlett still has a bone bruise, and the longer-than-expected healing time has been frustrating for him. Bartlett wore a pad on the finger Wednesday, and plans to limit his throws between innings. He has also experimented with using his middle finger more. |
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| David Price was dealt his first loss as a pro in his Triple-A Durham debut Wednesday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. He allowed seven hits and three runs, and lasted just four innings, while throwing 80 pitches (50 strikes). On a positive note, he fired six strikeouts and he said, "They were hitting everything tonight. This is Triple A. they were hitting good pitches and bad pitches. The hitters are just better, period. I feel good that I didn't walk anybody. I threw strikes, just not enough strikes. At least I made them put the ball in play. You can't have your best stuff every night."
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Our View: Price could find himself in a Rays' uniform by the end of the season, but manager Joe Maddon noted it is possible he would work out of the bullpen. |
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| In tonight's battle between the A's and Rays, both pitchers were hot but one had to leave with the loss. That would be Oakland's Justin Duchscherer, going 6 1/3 innings to surrender three runs (all earned) on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. The winner was Tampa's Andy Sonnanstine , going six strong to surrender two runs (both earned) on six hit with one walk and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Sonnanstine moves to 12-6 on the season, now touting consecutive wins after three consecutive losses. |
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| The Rays were missing crucial pieces due to a rash of injuries, yet they found a way to get the job done and pick up the 3-2 win over Oakland. Outfielder Eric Hinske was the weapon of choice, going 3-for-3 at the dish with his 17th homer of the season, totaling one RBI and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: Hinske needed a burst, hitting just .167 on the month coming into tonight. Getting his first homer since August 3rd may do the trick. |
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| Tampa Bay shortstop Jason Bartlett has been hitting for a couple of days and serving the team as a designated hitter, but tonight the Rays report he is close to return to full field duties, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Barlett played catch with infield coach Tom Foley this evening and reports indicate he looked just fine. Rays manager Joe Maddon said Tuesday he expected Bartlett to return to shortstop by the start of the Texas series Friday, but Wednesday Maddon did not rule out using him as a late-inning replacement against the A's on Wednesday night, nor did he rule out the possibility of starting Bartlett at shortstop Thursday afternoon. |
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| Executive VP Andrew Friedman stated that it is reasonable to believe Evan Longoria would return to the lineup by September 1, but the Rays would have a much better idea in two weeks when his fractured right wrist is X-rayed again, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Fantasy owners should keep the rookie phenom stashed away for the final month of the regular season in September. |
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| Tampa ace Scott Kazmir found few struggles on the mound, but the offensive support failed to formulate and push him through. Kazmir pitched five innings, allowing two runs (both earned) on two hits with two walks and six strikeouts. |
Our View: Kazmir falls to 8-6 with an ERA of 3.22. Clearly the loss of Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria are having an immediate impact for the worse, and the Tampa fans have to wonder if this is a sign of struggles to come. |
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| Outfielder Carl Crawford will undergo surgery Thursday to fix a tendon problem in his right hand and likely miss the rest of the regular season though there is a chance he could be back for the final games, Rays executive VP Andrew Friedman said Tuesday, according to TampaBay.com. |
Our View: This is a tremendous blow for the Rays and fantasy owners alike, resulting in the worst scenario imaginable for both. He may return for the playoffs, but that is an optimistic thought at this point. For now, he is done. |
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| On Sunday, the Rays acted confident Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett would be back on the left side of the infield for tonight’s opener against the A’s. Now Longoria’s on the disabled list, but Bartlett is in the lineup... as the designated hitter, according to TBO.com. |
Our View: Rocco Baldelli will be in right field again while Justin Ruggiano is starting in left, indicating Barlett is not yet ready for duty in the field due to a bruised right index finger. |
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| Scott Kazmir (8-5, 3.20 ERA) will face the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday, August 12. Kazmir hopes to rebound from his last start in which he gave up five runs over 4.1 innings. |
Our View: Look for Kazmir to rebound against the horrible Oakland offense. |
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| Carl Crawford is seeking another medical opinion on his injured finger before deciding what course of action to follow, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: Well that doesn't sound very promising. If the first doctor said thinks were good, would Crawford go for a second opinion? The bottom line is that he has a tendon in his right middle finger that has come out of the groove it should be in resulting in impaired movement (he can't straighten the finger after bending it). At best this doesn't seem like a 15 day type injury - we're just hoping it's not a season ending one at this point. |
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| Carl Crawford may have a subluxation of the tendon in his right middle finger, according to the Tampa Tribune. If this report is accurate, Crawford's season would likely be over. |
Our View: The team is scheduled to address the situation later today after they hear the results of an examination that was conducted on Monday, and we will obviously keep you posted as soon as we hear anything. |
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| Justin Ruggiano has been recalled to take the roster spot that became available when Even Longoria was placed on the DL with a fractured wrist, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Ruggiano could see regular playing time in the outfield with the injury to Carl Crawford. Ruggiano was hitting .315-11-51 in 66 games at Triple-A Durham while also stealing 20 bases, so he could certainly be worth starting in AL-only leagues. |
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| Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Longoria was placed on the DL on Monday when further testing revealed that he did indeed have a fractured wrist, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Longoria had hoped to avoid a DL stint, and the team agreed after initial testing showed there was no break. However, further testing showed the fracture in what is a crushing blow to the Rays and to his owners. Willy Aybar will likely fill in at the hot corner. |
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| Top pitching prospect David Price has been promoted to Triple-A Durham but there is no timetable as to when he may make his debut with the Rays, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Manager Joe Maddon said, "We just wanted to see him get involved there a little bit. We have several different scenarios that we've kind of created mentally and see how it all plays out."
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Our View: Maddon noted that he could be called up before September 1, but added that it is possible he would work out of the bullpen. |
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| The Rays are cautiously optimistic that Evan Longoria, who is nursing a sore right wrist, will return to the lineup Tuesday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. |
Our View: Longoria said he felt much better but will test the wrist before the game Tuesday and might need one more day.
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| Edwin Jackson has won four straight starts and commented on his successful 2008 campaign, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Jackson said, "I can look back on last year and this year and it's a complete difference. But at the same time last year helped me get to where I am now. Once you feel like you've been as low as you can get, there's nothing else to lose, so shoot for the moon."
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Our View: Jackson has also allowed two or less earned runs in four of his last six starts, and should remain active in fantasy lineups while he is in command. |
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| Rocco Baldelli played in a game for the first time this season, and went 1-for-4 while batting cleanup in the Rays 11-3 win over the Mariners. |
Our View: Baldelli was taken out of the game for a defensive replacement, and it is unknown how much regular playing time he'll get, but he has loads of talent and placing him on your fantasy roster if you need a spark could pay significant dividends. |
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| After getting the win today over Seattle, Edwin Jackson now has a victory in each of his last four starts. Jackson went seven innings and allowed just one earned run. |
Our View: Jackson has seen his ERA drop to 4.07 now, and he is a very good option in AL-only leagues, and even those in mixed leagues wouldn't be crazy for giving him an opportunity. |
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| David Price has been promoted to Triple-A Durham and is set to make his debut Wednesday against Norfolk, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Price likely will be called up to the majors at some point this season, with the only question being whether the Rays will use him as a starter or in relief. The former top pick is worth acquiring off the waiver wire if you have a spot for him. He was 7-0 with a 1.89 ERA at Double-A Montgomery prior to his promotion to Durham. |
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| Rocco Baldelli has been activated from the 60-day DL, according to the Tampa Tribune. Carl Crawford has been placed on the 15-day DL as the corresponding move. |
Our View: He started Sunday's game in right field, with Eric Hinske roaming left. Baldelli should see plenty of action while Crawford is out, and is worth a look in AL-only leagues if you could use help, namely in the power department. |
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| Carl Crawford has been placed on the 15-day DL due to a right middle finger tendon subluxation, according to the Tampa Tribune. Rocco Baldelli was activated from the 60-day DL as the adjoining move. |
Our View: He is optimistic he will return when first eligible, but if he has ligament damage, his fantasy season would likely be over. He will be examined further by team doctors Monday. |
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| To the shock and surprise of no one, the Rays found production from outfielder Carl Crawford in tonight's 8-7, 11-inning win at Seattle, going 2-for-4 at the dish with two walks and his 12th double of the season, totaling two RBIs and one run scored on the night. |
Our View: Crawford has been a bit underwhelming this season, though hopes of a rise towards and in the playoffs loom. Tonight shows it's in the tank and could be on the way. |
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| Tampa Bay pitcher Al Reyes has been designated for assignment by the club, according to The Sports Network. |
Our View: The Rays now have 10 days to place him on waivers, trade him or release him. He was of little importance in fantasy leagues, having thrown just 22.2 innings this year. |
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| B.J. Upton stole his 35th base and had two hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Rays. |
Our View: Upton also walked twice on the night to give him 78 walks on the year, good enough to push his OBP over .380 despite a batting average of just .266 including just seven hits in his last nine games. |
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| James Shields permitted three runners to cross home plate on Friday night against the Mariners as he worked 6.2 innings in his 10th victory of the year. |
Our View: Shields has walked all of seven batters over his last nine starts during which time he has struck out 47 batters for a fantastic 6.71 K/B ratio. It’s a simple game really. Throw strikes, avoid walking people and watch the results flow from it (he is 6-2 in his those starts). |
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| Troy Percival owners would be wise to reserve Grant Balfour . The veteran Percival is beginning to struggle with his command and his ground ball to fly ball rate is a concern. Balfour has been lights-out since joining the bullpen. |
Our View: Where does Balfour's 13.64 K rate combined with his 3.90 BB ratio rank him among the leagues relievers? With the best closers in the game. |
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| Evan Longoria underwent X-rays on his injured right wrist, which came back negative, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The rookie phenom was struck on the back of his right wrist by a J.J. Putz pitch during the ninth inning against Seattle Thursday.
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Our View: He was sore and had his wrist wrapped, but is expected to be fine. The team did not indicate when he will be ready to return to action. |
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| After being benched Wednesday for not hustling, B.J. Upton returned to the lineup and went 0-for-4 in the Rays loss to Seattle. |
Our View: Upton may have gotten the message, but it certainly did not help his performance tonight. Despite his disappointing power numbers, Upton has 34 steals and a quality on-base percentage and should be used in all leagues. |
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