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| Updating and earlier report, Al Reyes threw a simulated game on Saturday and the results were good, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: The plan is for Reyes to head out for some minor league work the next week or so with a target return date of right after the All-Star break. |
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| Rocco Baldelli played catch and took batting practice with the Rays on Friday, but there is no timetable for his return to a rehab assignment, the Tampa Tribune reports. He is dealing with a sore groin. |
Our View: It'll be a great story if Baldelli is able to help the Rays over the second half of this season, but fantasy owners shouldn't be counting on it. |
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| Al Reyes will throw a simulated game on Saturday. He is on the DL due to right shoulder tendinitis. "Every time he goes out in the bullpen, he feels better," manager Joe Maddon tells the Tampa Tribune. "The recovery's better, he's not as sore. And he's starting to gain more confidence in the arm strength." |
Our View: The reliever could be close to returning, but the Rays don't need to rush him. They've been getting wonderful work from other bullpen members. Reyes was the closer for much of 2007, but he doesn't have much value at this point. |
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| Carlos Pena carried the Rays in Friday's 11-2 win over the Royals at Tropicana Field, as he went 2-for-5 with five RBI. He hit a single and a three-run homer, his 12th of the season. |
Our View: He reached his highest RBI total since April 11, when he recorded six against the Orioles. He also hit his first homer since June 3. |
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| Edwin Jackson was in top form on the mound in Friday's 11-2 win over the Royals at home, as he only allowed one earned run on four hits over eight innings, with one walk and two strikeouts. |
Our View: Jackson improves to 5-6, and trimmed his ERA to 4.08. This was his first win since June 9. |
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| Reid Brignac will be in the Rays lineup hitting ninth, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: He did not have wonderful offensive numbers in Triple-A, so it would be wise to hold off on putting him in any fantasy lineup. |
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| Ben Zobrist has been called up to the big leagues today from Triple-A Durham, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Zobrist has hit well in his nine games with the Rays, but he is just 3-for-19 in his last five games since the last time he was sent down. |
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| Reid Brignac has been recalled from Triple-A Durham to take the roster spot of Jason Bartlett, who was placed on the 15-day DL, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Brignac was not tearing it up offensively in the minors, with just a .265 average and .312 on-base percentage. He has decent pop with the bat, as 32 of his 75 hits went for extra bases, but he does not have fantasy value right now. |
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| Jason Bartlett has been placed on the disabled list with a right knee sprain, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: Bartlett is not hitting well enough to be on fantasy rosters, as he has no home runs on the year and his on-base percentage is now below .300 |
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| While pitching for Triple-A Durham, Jeff Niemann struck out 12 batters in a complete game that saw him allow just one run on Wednesday. |
Our View: The Rays farm system is loaded with explosive arms like Niemann. He has averaged nearly a strike out per inning but has battled inconsistency throughout the year. Barring significant injuries to the rotation, don't expect to see Niemann join the major's best team any time soon. |
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| Tampa Bay LHP Scott Kazmir wasn't as dominating as we might have expected, though the Rays still pulled the 7-6 win over Boston. Kazmir pitched just five innings, allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits with four walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: After going 5-1 with an ERA of 1.22 through May, Kazmir went just 2-2 with an ERA of 3.60 through June, just a small fact to ponder as you consider Kazmir's potential for the month ahead. |
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| As is normally the case, the Tampa Bay effort versus the Boston Red Sox tonight, winning 7-6, was helped along by outfielder Carl Crawford , going 3-for-4 at the dish with three singles, his 21st stolen base of the season, and one walk, also adding one run scored to the stat line. |
Our View: Crawford has struggled to get his offensive numbers to the tall expectations many fantasy owners harbored, hitting .267 with four homers for 14 RBIs through June. Nights like this are not coming often enough, but the potential for a surge is clearly on hand. |
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| In what may be the best growing rivalry in the league this season, the Tampa Bay Rays drew blood against the Boston Red Sox in a hard-fought 7-6 win. Third baseman Evan Longoria was the leader of the parade, going 3-for-4 with his 21st double of the season, finishing with three RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Longoria hit .300 last month with eight homers and 19 RBIs, but he has been especially hot of late, going 16-for-35 with three homers and 11 RBIs since June 25th. |
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| The St. Petersburg Times reports that with Troy Percival on the DL, the Rays will return to a closer-by-committee format, with Dan Wheeler , Trever Miller, Grant Balfour and J.P. Howell all candidates to get the final out. Balfour did so Tuesday, picking up his second save of the season.
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Our View: Wheeler was unavailable on Tuesday after throwing each of the previous three nights. He carries an impressive 1.88 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. Al Reyes could also return from the DL next week. Reyes recorded 26 saves last season for the Rays. |
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| It appears that Grant Balfour will serve as the Rays closer while Troy Percival is on the disabled list, not Dan Wheeler. When Balfour was in Triple-A Durham to begin the season he was 8-for-8 in save opportunities. According to the Tampa Tribune, in his 23-plus innings, he allowed just five hits and struck out 39. Right-handed hitters batted .029 against him.
He was recalled in late May. The fire came with him. Eleven of Balfour's 12 appearances have been scoreless. He has 25 of the 63 batters he has faced. His ERA is 1.08. There's fire, and people can feel it. |
Our View: Since being recalled in late May, eleven of Balfour's 12 appearances have been scoreless. He has struck out 25 of the 63 batters he has faced and his ERA is 1.08. Madden likes the 30-year old hard-throwing right-hander and he appears destined for big things in Tampa this year. |
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that Scott Kazmir no longer looks at his move from New York to Tampa Bay as the worst day in his professional career. The day the Mets dealt him to Tampa Bay now ranks as one of his best. "It turned out to be a blessing," said Kazmir. |
Our View: Kazmir is 7-3 with a 2.28 ERA and takes on the big bad Red Sox as Tampa tries to beat Boston for the third straight game, and stretch the team's AL East lead to 3.5 games. |
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| Troy Percival has landed on the 15-day DL due to a left hamstring strain, according to the St. Petersburg Times. The Rays recalled right-hander Mitch Talbot from Triple-A Durham, as a corresponding move. |
Our View: The Rays will most likely use a closer-by-committee while Percival is on the shelf, with righties Dan Wheeler and Grant Balfour, and lefty J.P. Howell among the top candidates.
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| Tampa RHP Matt Garza was the strength of the effort in the Rays 3-1 victory over Boston this evening, pitching seven innings to allow just one unearned run on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts. |
Our View: Garza is now touting a record of 7-4 on the season with an ERA of 3.47, collecting his third win in four starts. |
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| The Rays continue to stay hot, tonight pushing through a pitcher's duel to emerge 3-1 over the Boston Red Sox. Catcher Dioner Navarro led the way, going 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBIs on the night. |
Our View: Navarro is now hitting .316 on the season but has fallen over the last month, hitting just .253 through June after hitting .333 in May. However, he's showcasing power along the way, hitting three homers with 13 RBIs through June. |
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| Akinori Iwamura has returned from his three-game suspension and he will bat leadoff for the Rays in their tilt against Boston, according to the Tampa Tribune. |
Our View: If you have Iwamura on your roster, tonight is a great night to get him back in the lineup. He is hitting .421 in his career against Red Sox starter Time Wakefield. |
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| Carl Crawford has an excellent match-up tonight, as the Rays take on the Boston Red Sox and pitcher Tim Wakefield. Crawford hits the knuckle ball artist to the tune of .316 over 79 at-bats. He has nine extra-base hits against Wakefield. |
Our View: Crawford has had an average season, but he brings potential speed and power to the table every game. This is obviously a good night to get him in your lineup. |
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| Rocco Baldelli will spend the rest of the week working out with the Rays, according to the Tampa Tribune. Baldelli will work on some things while getting some time to let his sore groin heal. |
Our View: Baldelli will basically spend the time around the clubhouse while doing some light baseball work. The upshot of this is that he will put his minor league rehab on hold at 20 days, leaving him 10 days once he returns before a decision needs to be made about his status. |
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| Troy Percival re injured his hamstring on Monday night while backing up third base and had to be removed from the game, according to the Tampa Tribune. "There’s been nights when I’ve gotten through my inning no problem and come in here and said there’s no way I’m going to be able to go tomorrow and then I come back the next day and it’s not as bad. So I don’t want to jump the gun on any of that, because it might be OK.” |
Our View: The decision to send him back to the DL hasn't yet been made, but it certainly appeared that it is something that they will have to seriously consider. Dan Wheeler would figure to be first in line for saves, though Grant Belfour could also sneak in there given his success this year. |
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