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LBWMF: Rays topple Halos 5-3, win sixth straight game

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Six in a row! (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Sergio Romo made the first (technical) start of his career after 588 relief outings, and Daniel Robertson hit a second inning grand slam, as the Tampa Bay Rays won their sixth straight game, 5–3 over the Angels. For the first time since March 30, the Rays are back at .500 (22-22).

Romo got the start and became the first Rays starter that was 30 years-old (or older) to do so in 603 games. The 35 year-old right-hander struck out Zack Cosart, Mike Trout and Justin Upton on 18 pitches (all swinging) in the top of the first.

Tampa Bay unveiled the plan as a way to get Ryan Yarbrough deeper in the game without the risk of facing the righthanders at the top of the order a third time. It worked out so well that Kevin Cash announced Romo would make a second consecutive start Sunday afternoon, ahead of Anthony Banda.

The way it worked out, Sergio is pumped, Cash said. He treated himself like a starter. I don’t think he’s here anymore, so he left to get his rest and get ready to throw one or two innings.

After threatening in the first inning, Tampa Bay took advantage of an extra out in the second to take an early four-run lead Andrew Heaney and the Angels. With two outs and none on, Johnny Field worked a free pass before Mallex Smith — who applied pressure on the Angels’ infield by way of his speed — reached on a throwing error by first baseman Jefry Marte, on a chopper wide of the bag. Jesus Sucre followed with (just) his second walk of the season, bringing Robertson to the plate. In front of 200 friends and family members, Robertson took an 84 mph 0-1 changeup to left-center, giving the Rays a commanding lead the Angels would never overcome.

Ryan Yarbrough took the mound after Romo, in the second, and allowed just three hits and a walk over the next six frames, collecting four punch outs. During that stretch he allowed just two batters to reach over the minimum, while only one runner got into scoring position in the fourth inning. Yarbrough ended that frame by coaxing a fly-ball out to center from Andrelton Simmons.

The Rays tacked on an insurance run in the seventh against reliever Noe Ramirez, and it all started with Robertson — no surprise there. The infielder worked a one-out walk before Ramirez, eventually, walked the bases full with an IBB of Matt Duffy. The right-hander got Wilson Ramos to ground into what looked to be an inning-ending double play, yet the twin killing was overturned on replay, as Robertson crossed the plate for the fifth run.

The Angels successfully broke up the shutout in the eighth, after Ian Kinsler doubled off Yarbrough, swiped third, then scored on a Marte groundout. Pinch-hitter Chris Young reached on a Robertson error, chasing Yarbrough.

Chaz Roe then got Martin Maldonado to ground into an around the horn double play. Yarbrough was charged with one run over 6-1/3 innings. He threw 92 pitches (60 strikes, 65% strike rate). As it was written elsewhere, the quality outing was beyond what anyone could have anticipated from him.

The Angels rallied in the ninth against Ryne Stanek, forcing an appearance by closer Alex Colome. Zach Cozart singled before Mike Trout crushed a 99 mph fastball to left-field off Stanek to start the frame. The right-hander has now given up three runs on three hits (including two homers) over 3-2/3 innings. Moreover, the contact he has allowed has either been medium or hard. Perhaps it’s time to build Stanek’s confidence in games where the Rays have commanding lead.

Colome entered the now a two-run affair, and retired the next three batters on 11 pitches for his 10th save of the season.

The New What Next

The Rays will go for their second consecutive series sweep Sunday afternoon with Sergio Romo on the mound. He will be followed by Anthony Banda (0-0, 5.40 ERA). They will be opposed by two-way start Shohei Ohtani (3-1, 3.58 ERA).

Sergio Romo will be the first pitcher to start games on back-to-back days since Zack Greinke did so for the Milwaukee Brewers (July 7-8, 2012). Greinke was ejected after throwing four pitches and facing two batters.

Anthony Banda efficiently cruised through the Royals lineup, setting a quick pace and inducing lots of contact — prior to the fifth inning he had struck out only one batter. But it appeared that the wheels might fall off for the southpaw in that frame. As Banda pounded the zone, the Royals began to hit squibbers that found holes.

A pair of leadoff singles and a sacrifice bunt later, Kansas City had runners on second and third with just one out. Banda came back and coaxed a soft grounder to short out of Ryan Goins that was scored as an RBI fielder’s choice. The next batter, Whit Merrifield, sent a liner to left that dropped just in front of Span, who struggled with the ball. Merrifield tried to stretch his single into a double, and Span gunned him down at second. The Rays got out of the inning with the lead, yet the Royals cut the deficit to one. Kansas City later tied the game against the tandem of Jose Alvarado and Sergio Romo.

That’s not to say Banda performed poorly, because he didn’t. The left-hander went five innings, and didn’t walk a batter. He struck out one and threw just 52 pitches (38 strikes, 73% strike ratio), although he allowed three runs on six hits.

Shohei Ohtani, thrust into a six-man rotation, will get the start in the series finale. Ohtani is coming off a quality start against Minnesota — his fourth of the season — in which he allowed just three hits and collected 11 strikeouts. It’s also thought that he may see some at-bats leading up to his start. The two-way star has relied on a blazing 98 mph four-seam fastball, a firm and whiffy 88 mph splitter with slight cut action and has some natural sink, and a sweeping 83 mph slider with two-plane movement, while also mixing in a whiffy 75 mph curveball with exceptional bite and glove side movement.

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Halos — a series preview

Rays 5/20/18 Starting Lineup

Span LF
Cron DH
Wendle 2B
Ramos C
Miller 1B
Duffy 3B
Smith CF
Robertson SS
Field RF
Romo RHP

Noteworthiness

— The Rays have not only surpassed the Blue Jays with sole possession of third place in the AL East, but have also leap-frogged Toronto in the Baseball Prospectus playoff berth projections, at a 19.5% chance of reaching the postseason.

(Screen Grab Credit: Baseball Prospectus)

— 1B/DH C.J. Cron extended his streak of games in which he reached base safely to 25.

Rays look to win sixth straight after beating the Angels on Friday, 8-3

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Make that five in a row, and six of their last 10. The Rays enter the day tied for third place in the AL East. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

Blake Snell bounced back to post a solid 6-2/3 inning start, while Wilson Ramos homered twice on Friday night. When all was said and done, the Tampa Bay Rays won their fifth consecutive game, 8–3 over the Los Angeles Angels. With the win, the Rays clinched a winning 11-game road trip, pulled to within a game of .500, and enter the day tied for third place in the AL East.


Source: FanGraphs

Snell didn’t put together a perfect inning until the sixth, yet he made big pitches when he needed to, holding the Angels scoreless until the fifth when Andrelton Simmons hit a two-run, two-strike single to center with one out — cutting the lead to four runs. Still, the southpaw stranded leadoff doubles in the second and third innings, and held Los Angeles to 1-9 with runners in scoring position.

After the Simmons single, Snell retired his next seven batters, collecting three punch outs along the way. He scattered four hits and two runs over 6-2/3 innings, walking three and fanning eight. Snell threw 70 of 114 pitches for strikes (61% strike rate).

Daniel Robertson got the Rays on the board with a solo shot in the second inning, but he was not the only Ray to go yard Friday night.

Ramos hit a pair of homers, giving him six on the season and 100 in his big league career. His first long-ball, a two-run blast to center, came off Nick Tropeano in the third inning when the Rays were up by one. Later in the frame, Mallex Smith drove in a run on a single, chasing Tropeano after just 2-2/3 innings — Tropeano’s shortest start this season, and the first time an Angels starter had allowed more than three runs since April 28th.

Ramos homered again the fifth inning off Cam Bedrosian, while Christian Arroyo later added a run-scoring hit for a six run advantage.

Tampa Bay was not content with five runs, and put up a six spot after Johnny Field laid down a bunt in the seventh inning, which was mishandled by Martín Maldonado, scoring Arroyo from third base; he initially reached third when he laced a triple into the right-field corner.

And while Mike Trout got off the schneid by hitting a homer in the eighth inning off Chaz Roe, Field capped the scoring in the top of the ninth when he singled home Smith from third. Jonny Venters took over one out in the eighth and got the final five outs of the game.

All told, the Rays collected 15 hits, three from Brad Miller and Smith. Robertson reached base three times, and over the first two days of the series, the infielder reached base in eight consecutive plate appearances.

The New What Next

The Rays will look to get back to .500 on Saturday for the first time since March 30th. Sergio Romo will get the start and will be followed by Ryan Yarbrough (3-2, 3.93 ERA). Mike Scioscia will counter with southpaw Andrew Heaney (2-2, 3.93 ERA).

Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run on five hits and three walks over five innings to earn his third win of the season on Monday against the Royals. He struck out four. Yarbrough put together a somewhat surprising outing, in that his strike to ball rate sat at 60% as he walked three batters. It will be interesting to see if the southpaw can bounce back against Mike Trout and the Angels, who he has never faced.

Andrew Heaney fanned 10 over eight solid innings of one-run ball against the Astros on Monday. He later described the outing as the best of his career. Heaney has pitched to a 1.80 ERA over his last four starts for the Angels, although he is 6-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 17 starts at home. This season the left-hander has relied primarily on his 92 mph swing and miss sinker and a hard 80 mph curveball, while also mixing in a firm 84 mph worm-killer changeup with armside fade and natural sink. He has never faced the Rays. Key Matchup: Brad Miller (2-2)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Halos — a series preview

Rays 5/19/18 Starting Lineup

Robertson ss
Cron 1B
Duffy 3B
Ramos DH
Arroyo 2B
Refsnyder LF
Field RF
Smith CF
Sucre C
Romo RHP

Noteworthiness

Medically speaking…

— Even though Adeiny Hechavarria felt better on Friday, he acknowledged he was still quite sore after straining his hamstring th night before. Because of it, Hechavarria is headed to the DL.

The Rays have recalled a fresh arm, Ryne Stanek, since Robertson can cover shortstop and Arroyo is already on the 25-man roster and can cover multiple infield positions.

— RHP Nathan Eovaldi (arthroscopic elbow surgery) returned to the mound for his third rehab outing, throwing 47 pitches (35 strikes) over three innings for the Charlotte Stone Crabs. He allowed two hits (one homer) struck out four, and hit 99 mph on the stadium gun. He is slated to work out with the Stone Crabs for a few days and then the team will decide if he needs to make a planned fourth rehab start or rejoin the big league squad, possibly as soon as Wednesday.

— RHP Yonny Chirinos (forearm strain) threw a bullpen session Friday and will advance to live batting practice on Monday.

Rays 5/18/18 starting lineup and pregame notes; pitching shuffle for Saturday’s contest

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The Tampa Bay Rays won their fourth in a row late last night against the Angels, 7-1. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays look to win a fifth consecutive game tonight, and clinch a winning road trip, after taking down the Los Angeles late last night, 7-1. The Rays are 5–3 on an 11-game three-city trip.

The Rays hit three home runs on Thursday, accounting for five of the team’s seven runs and giving them more than enough offensive production to take down one of the best teams in the American League.

Tampa Bay did suffer another injury, as shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria left with a mild right hamstring strain after hitting a single to left field in the second inning. When Hechavarria reached first base, he grabbed at the back of his leg/hamstring. He was re-evaluated Friday, and while nothing official has been announced by the team, it doesn’t appear that the Rays are making a roster move, so they must have gotten a good report from Hechavarria.

In any case, Hechavarria became the third player to be injured on this trip, following Carlos Gomez (right groin strain), and Matt Duffy (right hamstring tightness). Neither Duffy nor Hechavarria are in the lineup tonight, however, Duffy is expected to return to the fold on Saturday.

The New What Next

Blake Snell (4-3, 3.12 ERA) will get the start tonight for Tampa Bay, pitching opposite of Nick Tropeano (1-2, 3.64 ERA).

Blake Snell took his third loss of the season on Sunday and is dealing with a sore right hip. The revelation came during manager Kevin Cash’s postgame press conference following a forgettable outing in which the left-hander allowed five earned runs on six hits over 3-1/3 innings against Baltimore. According to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) Cash made sure to emphasize that it is a “minor, minor injury,” but also conceded the discomfort was the primary reason why he opted to pull Snell after just 73 pitches, allowing that he didn’t think the Snell “looked quite like himself.” Snell has faced the Angels just once, but walked away as the hard luck loser after he put together a 6 IP/4 H/2 ER/7 K performance. Prior to that outing, Snell had allowed two runs or fewer in six consecutive starts.

Nick Tropeano was credited with a no-decision in his last start on Saturday against Minnesota after the right-hander yielded three runs over six innings. This season he has relied primarily on his 91 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action and slight armside run, and an 80 mph 12-6 slider, while also mixing in an 82 mph splitter that dives down out of the zone, an 89 mph sinker with obvious tail, and a whiffy 82 mph changeup. He is 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA in two career starts against the Rays, but has not faced them since 2016. Tropeano is also 3-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 14 career starts at Angel Stadium. Key Matchup: Brad Miller (3-9, 2 HR, 3 RBI)

You can read about the series in our preview.

The New What Next: Rays vs Halos — a series preview

Rays 5/18/18 Starting Lineup

Span LF
Cron DH
Wendle 2B
Ramos C
Miller 1B
Robertson SS
Smith CF
Arroyo 3B
Field RF
Snell LHP

Noteworthiness

— The Rays are plotting something different and unusual for Saturday, starting the game with RHP Sergio Romo, then switching to LHP Ryan Yarbrough, based primarily on matchups.

According to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) the thinking is that Romo’s combination of slow, sweeping breaking balls will stymie the six or so aggressive right-handers at the top of the Angels order.

In theory, that would allow the Rays’ southpaw to come in against the bottom third of the order and work deeper into the game without facing Mike Trout, Justin Upton, Zack Cozart, Albert Pujols, Andrelton Simmons and Ian Kinsler for a third time through the order.

The way that their lineup stacks generally speaking is very heavy right-handed at the top, manager Kevin Cash said when asked about the plan after Thursday’s game.

It allows us in theory to let Sergio to come in there and play the matchup game in the first, which is somewhat unheard of — up until Saturday anyway.

Then Yarbs can, in theory, have the availability to get deeper in the game. There’s no more secret about the third time through the order, everybody knows that. And that’s kind of what this is about.

Romo has never started a game in his 11-year major-league career, yet Cash said the right-hander is beyond excited to start the ball game, saying:

I can tell you this: Sergio Romo’s really excited about this. He might be the most excited of anybody in baseball.

The New What Next: Rays vs Halos — a series preview

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After dropping three of four in Baltimore, the Rays bounced back to sweep the Royals. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Rays)

The Tampa Bay Rays are set to kick off a four-game visit to Angel Stadium in Anaheim, where they will battle the Los Angeles Angels this weekend. Tampa Bay is coming off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals, while Los Angeles just dropped two-of-three to the AL West leading Houston Astros.

(Stats Credit: ESPN)

Tampa Bay enters the series with a 19-22 record on the season, although the team was able to take all three games at Kaufman Stadium — the Rays’ first sweep of the Royals since 2011, and the first in Kansas City since 2009. Prior to that, they had lost six of seven following a spate of play where the team was able to make up eight games in the loss column. If the Rays has any hope of being a part of the Wildcard race, then they will need to be much more consistent at the plate. To their credit, they were able to tag the Royals for 13 runs, although they have averaged just 3.67 runs per game over their last nine games …  and that just won’t get it done. While they have averaged 4.45 runs per game on the road this year, they have also allowed 5.45 runs per game under the same parameters.

The Angels have been very good at the plate so far, ranking sixth in the league in scoring — putting up 4.93 runs per game —  while also ranking second in homers with 58. They, however, have averaged 4.12 runs per game at home, while in the same breath allowing 4.96 runs per game.

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Tampa Bay took four of the seven games from the Halos last season (2-1 at Angel Stadium).

Pitching Probables

Over the next four days, Kevin Cash will lean on Chris Archer (2-3, 5.64 ERA), Blake Snell (4-3, 3.12 ERA), Ryan Yarbrough (3-2, 3.93 ERA) and Anthony Banda (0-0, 5.40 ERA). Mike Scioscia will counter with Tyler Skaggs (3-2, 3.07 ERA), Nick Tropeano (1-2, 3.64 ERA), Andrew Heaney (2-2, 3.93 ERA) and Shohei Ohtani (3-1, 3.58 ERA).

(Stats Credit: FanGraphs)

Chris Archer was hit with the loss on Saturday against the Orioles, after he allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks over seven innings. He struck out four. It was Archer’s second seven inning start, yet his line left a lot to be desired thanks to the three long balls he allowed. The right-hander has now conceded nine home runs this season; he served up a homer in each of his first six starts, but kept the ball in the yard in his previous two outings heading into Saturday. He also allowed a steal of home (by Chance Sisco) and another run on a wild pitch. In spite of his 5.64 ERA across 52-2/3 innings, Archer has a solid 3.47 K/BB. He is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA in five starts at Angel Stadium.

Tyler Skaggs gave up two earned runs on six hits over six innings against the Twins, striking out seven and walking two in a 5-4 loss. Despite the score, the southpaw put together a solid outing, and has pitched well all season (save for a rough outing against Boston on April 18, when he got tagged for six earned runs). His strikeout rate has been on an uptick lately, and he has punched out at least seven batters in three consecutive starts after managing that feat just once in his first five trips to the mound. He now has a 3.07 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP and a 3.54 K/BB over 44 innings this season. Contrary to the superlatives, Skaggs allowed five runs in his only appearance against Tampa Bay, and is 3-9 with a 4.81 ERA in 25 starts at Angel Stadium. This season he has relied primarily on his 92 mph four seam fastball resulting in a good number of swinging strikes, and a biting 75 mph curveball with sweeping glove-side movement, while also mixing in a 92 mph worm-killer sinker, and an 85 mph changeup with surprising cut action and sink.

Blake Snell took his third loss of the season on Sunday and is dealing with a sore right hip. The revelation came during manager Kevin Cash’s postgame press conference following a forgettable outing in which the left-hander allowed five earned runs on six hits over 3-1/3 innings against Baltimore. According to Marc Topkin (Tampa Bay Times) Cash made sure to emphasize that it is a “minor, minor injury,” but also conceded the discomfort was the primary reason why he opted to pull Snell after just 73 pitches, allowing that he didn’t think the Snell “looked quite like himself.” Snell has faced the Angels just once, but walked away as the hard luck loser after he put together a 6 IP/4 H/2 ER/7 K performance.

Nick Tropeano was credited with a no-decision in his last start on Saturday against Minnesota after the right-hander yielded three runs over six innings. This season he has relied primarily on his 91 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action and slight armside run, and an 80 mph 12-6 slider, while also mixing in an 82 mph splitter that dives down out of the zone, an 89 mph sinker with obvious tail, and a whiffy 82 mph changeup. He is 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA in two career starts against the Rays, but has not faced them since 2016. Tropeano is also 3-4 with a 4.56 ERA in 14 career starts at Angel Stadium. Key Matchup: Brad Miller (3-9, 2 HR, 3 RBI)

Ryan Yarbrough allowed one run on five hits and three walks over five innings to earn his third win of the season on Monday against the Royals. He struck out four. Yarbrough put together a somewhat surprising outing, in that his strike to ball rate sat at 60% as he walked three batters. It will be interesting to see if the southpaw can bounce back against Mike Trout and the Angels, who he has never faced.

Andrew Heaney fanned 10 over eight solid innings of one-run ball against the Astros on Monday. He later described the outing as the best of his career. Heaney has pitched to a 1.80 ERA over his last four starts for the Angels, although he is 6-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 17 starts at home. This season the left-hander has relied primarily on his 92 mph swing and miss sinker and a hard 80 mph curveball, while also mixing in a firm 84 mph worm-killer changeup with armside fade and natural sink. He has never faced the Rays. Key Matchup: Brad Miller (2-2)

Anthony Banda efficiently cruised through the Royals lineup, setting a quick pace and inducing lots of contact — prior to the fifth inning he had struck out only one batter. But it appeared that the wheels might fall off for the southpaw in that frame. As Banda pounded the zone, the Royals began to hit squibbers that found holes.

A pair of leadoff singles and a sacrifice bunt later, Kansas City had runners on second and third with just one out. Banda came back and coaxed a soft grounder to short out of Ryan Goins that was scored as an RBI fielder’s choice. The next batter, Whit Merrifield, sent a liner to left that dropped just in front of Span, who struggled with the ball. Merrifield tried to stretch his single into a double, and Span gunned him down at second. The Rays got out of the inning with the lead, yet the Royals cut the deficit to one. Kansas City later tied the game against the tandem of Jose Alvarado and Sergio Romo.

That’s not to say Banda performed poorly, because he didn’t. The left-hander went five innings, and didn’t walk a batter. He struck out one and threw just 52 pitches (38 strikes, 73% strike ratio), although he allowed three runs on six hits.

Shohei Ohtani, thrust into a six-man rotation, will get the start in the series finale. Ohtani is coming off a quality start against Minnesota — his fourth of the season — in which he allowed just three hits and collected 11 strikeouts. It’s also thought that he may see some at-bats leading up to his start. The two-way star has relied on a blazing 98 mph four-seam fastball, a firm and whiffy 88 mph splitter with slight cut action and has some natural sink, and a sweeping 83 mph slider with two-plane movement, while also mixing in a whiffy 75 mph curveball with exceptional bite and glove side movement.

Noteworthiness

— Christian Arroyo, the highly touted prospect acquired in the December trade of Evan Longoria to the Giants, was called up Wednesday when the Rays put RF Carlos Gomez on the DL so they could add another right-handed bat. The team also plans to have him step in for 3B Matt Duffy, who is out of the lineup, likely until Friday, after leaving Tuesday’s game with hamstring tightness.

Arroyo has been off to a slow start with Triple-A Durham, hitting .200 with one homer (albeit a grand slam) in 17 games, having missed time with a calf strain.

Carlos Gomez headed to the DL; Rays to promote Christian Arroyo

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Christian Arroyo, the prize in the trade for Evan Longoria, is headed for a big league promotion. (Photo Credit: BrianFlemingPhotography.com)

The Tampa Bay Rays placed Carlos Gomez on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right groin before Wednesday’s series finale In Kansas City. Christian Arroyo has been called up to take his place on the roster. Meanwhile, Matt Duffy (right hamstring tightness), who also left Tuesday night’s game, although it was not serious enough to warrant a trip to the DL, and he could return to action as early as Friday against the Angels in Anaheim.

Arroyo, the prize in the deal that sent Evan Longoria to San Francisco last December, has yet to make his Rays debut. He is currently is ranked as the club’s number six prospect by MLB Pipeline, as well as baseball’s number 80 overall prospect and the number four third-base prospect.

The infielder was the 25th overall selection in the 2013, and made his Major League debut with the Giants last season, playing in 34 games and slashing .192 BA/.244 OBP/.304 SLG/.549 OPS with 3 HR over 135 plate appearances. Following Spring Training, he was optioned to Triple-A Durham, where he is hitting .200 with a homer and eight RBI in 17 games.

Well we’ve got some (left-handed starters) coming into play in Anaheim, manager Kevin Cash said. He’ll get some opportunities. He’s played mostly third base. But he’s versatile in the fact he can play short, second and third. We saw all of that in Spring Training. And especially with Matt nursing a little bit of a hamstring. I’m not quite sure when he’s going to be available, but we’re hoping it’s just going to be a couple of days.

As for Duffy, the infielder told reporters that his hamstring had improved from Tuesday night, which encouraged him about his chances for a quick return to the lineup.

I think it feels about like it did after I strained it (earlier in the season) and took three days off, Duffy said. And the last time we took four days off before we started ramping things up, so maybe a day or two here. It’s not quite perfect, which is why I’m not in the lineup, but it’s not far off.

… Running the bases is the main concern. You get to the point where you’re torn between either hurting the team by not being able to run hard, or hurting yourself because you do run hard. I think we’re probably going to play it a little safe. If I need one extra day, first day in Anaheim, I don’t think that’s out of question to take two days off and then go from there.

Duffy has been one of the Rays’ most productive players at the plate. He’s hitting .322 with two home runs and 14 RBI.

Gomez left Tuesday night’s win over the Royals due to the groin injury. The 32-year-old outfielder is batting .200 with five home runs, 11 RBI (and the worst walk rate of his career) over 37 games.

Obviously, the way he plays, how intense he is running the bases, playing the outfield, probably the smart (move was) to get him off his feet for 10 days and not allow him to aggravate it, Cash said. It will be a loss.

I know Carlos hasn’t swung the bat the way he’s capable of, but you know eventually he’s going to get hot. We’re still waiting, but maybe this will give him a little bit of a blow, rest his mind as much as his groin, and come back and get us going once he does come back.