ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Kevin Kiermaier and Manny Margot are among 15 Rays on the IL as a result of injuries sustained in Monday night’s loss to the Y
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Kevin Kiermaier and Manny Margot are among 15 Rays on the IL as a result of injuries sustained in Monday night’s loss to the Yankees.
Both outfielders were placed on the 10-day IL on Tuesday.
Prior to Tuesday night’s game against the Yankees, manager Kevin Cash said Kiermaier received a cortisone shot for an inflamed left hip, something that has bothered the center fielder for much of the past year or so.
“Hopefully, he responds really well to it and we see him back soon,” said Cash.
Margot likely will not be back anytime soon. The team’s leading hitter (.302) hurt his right knee when he crashed into the right field wall going after Aaron Hicks’ ninth-inning triple. Margot had to be carted off the field.
“Like I said (Monday night), we anticipate he is going to be out for a while,” said Cash, who noted the team was awaiting results of an MRI performed Tuesday afternoon to determine the potential length of Margot’s absence.
To fill the voids on the active roster, Jonathan Aranda and Luke Raley were called up from Triple-A Durham. Both hit from the left side.
The 24-year-old Aranda’s first game with the Rays – he did not play Tuesday night – will be his MLB debut. The Mexican-born Aranda was signed as a free agent in 2015 and can play first, second and third. He was hitting .301 with 11 homers at Durham.
The 27-year-old Raley is a corner outfielder who made his MLB debut with the Dodgers last season and hit .182 in 33 games. He was acquired from Los Angeles at the beginning of spring training in exchange for minor league pitcher Tanner Dodson.
Aranda’s and Raley’s versatility will help a depleted lineup.
“Aranda is a guy that we saw a little bit in spring training,” said Cash. “He’s always been a guy that can hit. He can lengthen at-bats. So, we are excited for him and excited for Raley to get back to the big leagues. Hopefully, they can help us in whatever roles they are asked.”
Paredes Power: Isaac Parades homered in his first three at-bats Tuesday night against the Yankees at the Trop. It was the seventh time (six players) in Rays history that a player hit three homers in a game. The last to do so was Brandon Lowe last October 2 at Yankee Stadium.
The Rays needed every bit of Paredes’ power display as they hung on for a 5-4 win. Paredes blasted solo homers in the first (front end of back-to-back HRs with Harold Ramirez) and third, and a two-run shot in the fifth that gave the Rays a 5-2 lead and proved to be the game’s decisive hit. The homers were also key in helping halt a skid in which the Rays had lost six of their last seven and eight of 10.
“I am glad that, with the series that we had leading up to this one, that we were able to get a victory (Tuesday night),” he said through an interpreter, when asked about how meaningful it was to have a such a night when the Rays badly needed a win.
The righthanded-hitting Paredes’ first two homers were off lefty Nestor Cortes, who allowed only six homers coming in. His third was off righthander Clarke Schmidt. In his fourth and final plate appearance, in the seventh inning against righthander Ron Marinaccio, Paredes was hit on the left elbow on a 2-2 pitch. That thwarted a chance at becoming the seventh player in MLB history to homer in four consecutive at-bats in the same game. The most recent was Toronto’s Carlos Delgado in 2003 against the Rays.
There have been 18 four-homer games in MLB history with the most recent by J.D. Martinez, then with Arizona, in 2017.
It was the second multi-homer game of Paredes’ career. His first was a two-homer effort at the Trop on the afternoon of May 18 against Detroit, from whom he was acquired April 4 in a deal that sent Austin Meadows to the Tigers.
Paredes has a team-best eight homers and they have come in 86 at-bats since being called up from Durham on May 1. He entered this season with two career homers in 172 at-bats with the Tigers in 2020-21.
Wander weekend? Wander Franco had a day off Tuesday after going 2-for-3 on Monday in his second rehab game for the rookie level Florida Complex Rays. He is scheduled to play three games starting Wednesday for Triple-A Durham and could be in action at Tropicana Field this weekend against the Pirates.
Stingy Shane: Shane McClanahan’s outing against the Yankees on Monday night (6 IP, 1 ER) was the lefty’s eighth straight start of going at least six innings and allowing two earned runs or less. Each of his last two starts were against the Yankees and he allowed only two earned runs in 12 innings. His only decision, though, was a loss in the Bronx last Wednesday when three of the four runs he allowed were unearned.
McClanahan, who has allowed only six earned runs in 52 innings over those eight starts, leads the majors in strikeouts (113) and WHIP (0.85) and is tied for the lead in batting average against (.185). He leads the American League, and is third in MLB, with an ERA of 1.81.
Interleague play: The Rays will have a day off Thursday after completing their three-game series with the Yankees on Wednesday night. Two National League teams then come to the Trop to continue the eight-game homestand. The Pirates are in town for a three-game weekend series in what will be their first trip to St. Pete since 2014 when they took two of three from the Rays. Following a day off Monday, the Brewers come in for a two-game series in what will be their first visit since 2017 when they won two of three.
Visit Tampafp.com for Politics, Tampa Area Local News, Sports, and National Headlines. Support journalism by clicking here to our GiveSendGo or sign up for our free newsletter by clicking here.
Android Users, Click Here To Download The Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook Here Or Twitter Here.
Copyright 2022 The Free Press, LLC, tampafp.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
