CLEVELAND (AP) — Before stepping into the batter's box, rookie outfielder Steven Kwan squats for a moment, much the way his idol, Ichiro Suzuki, did.
The ritual centers Kwan, allowing Cleveland's pesky leadoff hitter to move on to what’s next — getting on base or in a pitcher's head.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wander Franco had three RBIs, Jonathan Aranda homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-5 on Thursday night in the opener of a big four-game series between playoff contenders.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rays teammates Yandy Díaz and Randy Arozarena had an altercation after a 4-0 loss to the Astros on Monday, partially prompting Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash to bench both players Tuesday in a 5-0 defeat to Houston.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan was pulled in the fifth inning with neck tightness during a 5-0 loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
“He did not want to come out, was not happy about that, but we’re trying to make the best decision," manager Kevin Cash said.
NEW YORK (AP) — Tampa Bay reliever Brooks Raley will miss the Rays' five-game, four-day series at Toronto because players must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Canada.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday that Raley will be the only player not making the trip.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco took batting practice Tuesday for Triple-A Durham and is ready to play again in his minor league rehabilitation, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash.
MIAMI (AP) — The Rays placed ace left-hander Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list because of a left shoulder impingement on Wednesday, a day after he was a late scratch from Tampa Bay’s 7-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
BOSTON (AP) — Isaac Paredes homered over the Green Monster in each of his first two at-bats and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by beating the Boston Red Sox 12-4 on Sunday.
Randy Arozarena hit three doubles off the left-field wall at Fenway Park and drove in two runs.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Christian Bethancourt had two run-scoring hits in the same inning and later moved from behind the plate to the mound to pitch a scoreless ninth as the surging Tampa Bay Rays beat the Los Angeles Angels 11-1 on Tuesday night.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Harold Ramirez had three hits and drove in two runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 on Sunday.
Ramirez has a hit in all five games, going 9 for 21 (.429), since returning Tuesday from a broken right thumb and is hitting .337 during a resurgent season.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Drew Rasmussen took a no-hit try into the sixth inning in his first start since making a serious perfect game bid, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 on Saturday.
NEW YORK (AP) — The slumping New York Yankees were shut out in consecutive games for the first time since 2016, losing to Ryan Yarbrough and the Tampa Bay Rays 4-0 on Monday night.
Coming off a 3-0 defeat Sunday night against the Boston Red Sox, New York failed to provide any run support for ace Gerrit Cole, whose only run allowed followed a misplay in center field by Aaron Hicks.
DETROIT (AP) — Yu Chang and Yandy Diaz drew bases-loaded walks in a seven-run ninth inning, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 7-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
With the game scoreless in the ninth, Isaac Parades hit a one-out single off Tigers closer Gregory Soto (2-6), then took third on a two-out double by Francisco Mejia.
DETROIT (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays already have 15 players on the injured list. Now pitching coach Kyle Snyder might be on the shelf, too.
Snyder injured himself walking toward the mound to visit ace Shane McClanahan during the seventh inning of a 9-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Ramón Urías hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off reliever Colin Poche to undo a marvelous start by Tampa Bay All-Star Shane McClanahan and carry the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-3 victory over the Rays on Tuesday night.
BALTIMORE (AP) — The bullpen has been perhaps the biggest part of Baltimore's climb this season.
When manager Brandon Hyde lifted starter Austin Voth after three innings against Tampa Bay, those relievers went to work.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays standouts Kevin Kiermaier and Mike Zunino are out for the season because of injuries, another significant blow for the defending AL East champions.
Manager Kevin Cash said before Monday night's game at Baltimore that Kiermaier is having an operation in the coming weeks.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay placed starter Shane Baz on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a right elbow sprain, leaving the Rays with 17 players on the IL.
Their list, which ties the Cincinnati Reds for the most in the major leagues, includes 12 pitchers.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shane McClanahan earned his 10th win and regained the major league lead in strikeouts during his final outing before the All-Star Game, pitching the Tampa Bay Rays past the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Wednesday night.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays' injured list increased to a major league-high 16 when left-hander Josh Fleming was placed on the IL with right oblique tightness on Tuesday.
Fleminig was hurt in Monday night's game against Boston and became Tampa Bay's 11th player on the IL, most in the AL.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco will have surgery Tuesday on his right wrist.
Franco has a hamate injury. He left Saturday's 5-4 loss at Cincinnati after fouling off a 100.2 mph Hunter Greene pitch before striking out.
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays first base coach Mark Budzinski will be away from the team following the death of his eldest daughter. Julia Budzinski was 17.
“The Budzinskis have been part of our Blue Jays family over the last four seasons,” general manager Ross Atkins said in a statement Sunday.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco was reinstated from the 10-day injured list after missing 23 games with a right quadriceps strain.
The 21-year old was the No. 2 hitter in Sunday’s lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays outfielders Manuel Margot and Kevin Kiermaier left Monday night's 4-2 loss to the New York Yankees with injuries and are likely headed to the injured list.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Gerrit Cole took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Aaron Hicks hit a tiebreaking triple in the ninth as Manuel Margot slammed into the right-field wall and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Monday night for their 50th win.
NEW YORK (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday because of a strained left hamstring.
In addition, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier left the game at the New York Yankees in the middle of the third inning due to left Achilles inflammation.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Big league batting leader Luis Arraez hit his first career grand slam and the Minnesota Twins spoiled Shane Baz’s season debut, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 on Saturday.
Arraez got at least three hits for the seventh time this season, raising his average to .367.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Andrew Kittredge, a 2021 All-Star, will have season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery in another blow to the team's banged-up bullpen.
Manager Kevin Cash announced the news before the game in Minnesota on Friday night.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shane McClanahan pitched eight superb innings to win his fifth consecutive start and the Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 2-1 victory on Thursday.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Martín Pérez was nearly a year from making his big league debut with the Texas Rangers and pitching in 2011 at Triple-A Round Rock, where one of the catchers was a future MLB manager.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A number of Tampa Bay Rays players decided not to wear rainbow-colored logos on their uniforms as part of the team’s annual “Pride Night” on Saturday that recognized the LGBTQ community.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jake Burger had a key hit for the second consecutive day and the Chicago White Sox hung on to a large early lead to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 on Sunday.
Burger, who had a go-ahead, two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning of the White Sox’s 3-2 win on Saturday, had a two-run double during Chicago's four-run first off Ryan Yarbrough (0-2).
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ji-Man Choi had a disputed checked-swing strike that led to his manager's ejection, then a big swing-and-miss when his helmet flew off his head. That at-bat ended with an RBI double that put Tampa Bay ahead to stay.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tampa Bay placed shortstop Wander Franco on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a right quadriceps strain, the latest setback for the injury-plagued Rays.
Franco aggravated the injury running the bases in the ninth inning of Monday's 9-5 loss at the Texas Rangers.
SEATTLE (AP) — Abraham Toro hit a tying homer in the ninth inning, Ty France singled home the winning run in the 10th and the Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak.
SEATTLE (AP) — Brandon Lowe hit two solo homers off Seattle starter Marco Gonzales for the seventh multi-homer game of his career, Manuel Margot hit his first grand slam, and the Tampa Bay Rays won their sixth straight, beating the Mariners 8-2 on Saturday night.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays believe in their potent offense, and manager Kevin Cash can't wait for his club to start consistently slugging.
A solid win to start a nine-game trip sure provided a glimpse of how things can go when everyone in the lineup gets involved.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Shane McClanahan became Tampa Bay's first starting pitcher to get a win this season as the Rays overcame a two-run, first-inning deficit and beat the Boston Red Sox 5-2 on Sunday.
CHICAGO (AP) — Francisco Mejia homered and drove in three runs to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Chicago Cubs 8-2 on Wednesday night in a game that was called after 5 1/2 innings due to rain.
First pitch was moved up 70 minutes because rain was forecast for later on a chilly evening.
CHICAGO (AP) — Wander Franco hit his first homer of the season, a two-run drive to left-center in the third inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays held on to beat the Chicago Cubs 6-5 on Tuesday night.
Cubs rookie Seiya Suzuki drew three walks but his nine-game hitting streak came to an end, leaving him tied with Akinori Iwamura for the longest hitting streak by a Japanese-born player to start a career.