After scoring a season high 19 runs against the Twins on Saturday, matching a franchise high, the Tampa Bay Rays look to end the ceremonial first half on a high note in Minneapolis. The win yesterday solidified the Rays’ plus .500 record at the All-Star Break, while a victory today could help determine if the team will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline, or if they’ll stay put.
It was announced after Saturday’s contest that Wilson Ramos, who was pulled early — in the sixth inning — due to left hamstring tightness, will not be able to play in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
Ramos said the injury occurred when he was running out a ground ball to third.
Ramos will travel to DC for the game, but it is uncertain whether he’ll hit the disabled list.
I was very excited to participate in that game, Ramos said. Now, I’m very sad. I worked really hard to make that team. But I will be there with my family and get some time there.
Hopefully it gets better soon. I still have half a season left … It’s better to miss one game than two months. Just have to be smart, do my rehab well and come back strong.
The Rays also made a roster move, acquiring the recently DFA’d southpaw Hoby Milner from the Phillies for cash considerations.
We’ve acquired LH Hoby Milner from Philadelphia for cash considerations.
RH Ryan Weber has been DFA. pic.twitter.com/2LjoMbXOhP
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 15, 2018
Milner, 27, broke camp on the Phillies’ Opening Day roster, however, he performed to a 7.71 ERA in 10 appearances before being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Last season he had worked to a 2.01 ERA in 37 appearances.
In order to make room on the 25 and 40-man rosters, Tampa Bay optioned RHP Chih-Wei Hu back to Triple-A Durham, and designated RHP Ryan Weber for assignment.
When a player is DFA’d, he is immediately removed from the 25 and 40-man 40-man rosters. Within seven days of the transaction, the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.
The New What Next
RHP Ryne Stanek (1-2, 1.92 ERA) will get the start in a bullpen day for the Rays, pitching opposite of RHP Fernando Romero (3-3, 4.38 ERA).
Ryne Stanek has sterling peripherals this season, posting a 1.93 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 across his 27 appearances this season (32-2/3 innings). The right-hander pitched a scoreless frame with two punch outs in his lone appearance against Minnesota this season.
If history speaks to anything, southpaw Ryan Yarbrough (8-4, 3.68 ERA) will likely see some mound time this afternoon.
Fernando Romero has a solid-but-unspectacular 4.38 ERA in 51-1/3 innings this season, although his 2.04 ERA in 39-2/3 innings for Triple-A Rochester is quite good. In his previous start for the Twins, Romero took the loss after he allowed four runs in six innings. This season he has relied primarily on a whiffy 96 mph sinker with some slight armside run and some natural sinking action, a swing-and-miss 96 mph four-seam fastball with natural sinking action, and a 12-6 87 mph slider, while also mixing in a hard 91 mph changeup with some armside fade and natural sink.
You can read about the series in our preview.
The New What Next: Rays vs Twins part two — a series preview
Rays 7/15/18 Starting Lineup
Kiermaier CF
Duffy 3B
Bauers DH
Cron 1B
Robertson 2B
Gomez RF
Smith LF
Hechavarria SS
Sucre C
Stanek RHP
Noteworthiness
— A li’l R&R. After a long stretch of writing pretty much daily since the start of Spring Training, we’ll be taking a brief respite this week. Treat yo-self as it were. Fret not, if anything pressing needs to be reported between now and Friday, we’ll be on it. Otherwise, see y’all when the Rays return to action on Friday against the Marlins.