Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have placed starting pitcher Charlie Morton on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com.

Pitcher Jose Alvarado has been activated from the paternity list in a corresponding move. 

The Rays removed Morton from his start against the New York Yankees on Sunday after just two innings, but he didn't seem concerned about the injury.

"I think the fortunate thing was that it really didn't progress past anything that was intolerable," he told reporters after the game. "It was just kind of some discomfort back there and tightness."

He added:

"I really think it's just going to be just managing the symptoms and how it feels going forward. It's just the kind of thing where I don't really know where that's going to lead here in the next three, four, five days. It's just going to be the kind of thing where I'm just going to have to be honest with my symptoms. ...

"The hope being it just doesn't become anything that's an issue here in the coming weeks and months. But I don't foresee that at all. I've had issues, and I'm pretty confident this is very manageable."

Morton, 36, is 1-1 on the season in four starts with a 5.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 17 strikeouts in 16.2 innings. He served as the team's Opening Day starter this season.

"We knew something didn't feel right and didn't think it was smart to just continue to try and push through it," manager Kevin Cash told reporters after Sunday's game. "We need Charlie Morton to be really good for us the rest of the way, and if we have to shave off a start right there today, then I think we made the right decision."

The Tampa Bay Rays announced Friday that they have committed $100,000 to six organizations focused on fighting systemic racism in the United States.

It's part of the MLB club's Racial Equity Grant Program, which was created in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, while in Minneapolis Police custody in May.

The program was launched to "build power within communities that have been historically overlooked and purposefully disadvantaged because of systemic racism." The Rays plan to make $100,000 in annual donations to "support anti-racist organizations and leadership."

"Finally, we are reminded of the words of Jackie Robinson: 'Life is not a spectator sport. If you're going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you're wasting your life,'" the team said in a June statement. "While our hearts may be broken, we aren't giving up."

The Rays, who open their coronavirus-shortened 2020 season Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays, used the occasion to seek justice for Breonna Taylor:

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was killed by Louisville Police in March while they executed a "no-knock" search warrant as part of a drug investigation while she was in an apartment with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.

MLB teams involved in Thursday's Opening Day games took a knee for a moment of silence while holding a black fabric to symbolize racial equality.

As Tampa Bay Rays catcher Kevan Smith continues to take precautions against the coronavirus, the Pittsburgh native told reporters of opposition to those precautions that he and his teammates have faced in Florida. 

Smith told reporters Saturday that a teammate was called a "pansy" for wearing a mask in public even as the number of positive cases across the state continue to surge, while Smith said he received puzzled looks while wearing a mask to collect food. 

According to the New York Times, Florida has seen the number of new cases increase by more than 11,000 in one day twice over the last week. 

There is currently no state-wide mandate for masks in Florida, with governor Ron DeSantis opting instead to defer to local leaders to make the decision. 

Multiple MLB players have tested positive for the virus since MLB officially reopened team workouts on July 1, including former Rays star Tommy Pham, Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo and New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. 

Positive tests also forced the temporary closure of team facilities in Florida for the Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros in late June. 

The Rays' Tropicana Field, which has been used as a testing facility for the Tampa Bay area, has been forced to close on multiple days after reaching capacity.

Smith, 32, signed a minor league deal with Tampa in January after stints with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels.  

The Tampa Bay Rays are keeping their options open with top prospect Wander Franco heading into the 2020 season. 

Per MLB.com's Juan Toribio, Franco is expected to be among the 60 players named to the Rays' player pool when they make the official announcement on Sunday.

Franco is widely regarded as the best overall prospect in Major League Baseball, including by MLB.com. The 19-year-old hit .327/.398/.487 with nine home runs, 56 walks and 35 strikeouts in 425 at-bats between Low-A and High-A last season. 

Per Baseball America's J.J. Cooper, Franco began last season as the youngest player in the Midwest League (Low-A). 

Here is MLB.com's scouting report for Franco: 

"A switch-hitter with ridiculously strong wrists, blazing-fast bat speed and preternatural bat-to-ball skills, Franco absolutely punishes the baseball to all parts of the field from both sides, attacking pitches over the plate while also demonstrating tremendous discipline and rarely swinging and missing (4.3 percent swinging-strike rate in '19). It's why he's recorded more walks (83) than strikeouts (54) across his first two pro seasons while compiling a .336 average."

As part of MLB's plan to start the regular season next month, all 30 teams must submit a 60-man player pool that they will be able to use during games. The pool is made up of players already on a 40-man roster and 20 players who are under contract. 

Clubs will open the regular season with a roster of 30 players, with the remaining 30 players staying at an alternate training site—potentially a minor-league affiliate in close proximity to the MLB team—and able to be added to the MLB roster in the event of injuries or a positive COVID-19 test. 

Toribio did note Franco's potential spot in the 60-man player pool doesn't necessarily mean he will see time on the field with the Rays in 2020. The alternate training site will allow him to work with the team's coaches since the minor league season likely won't take place.

Franco is on the fast track to Tampa Bay based on how well developed his offensive game is. He could have a chance to force his way on to the MLB roster as soon as this summer if he stays on that trajectory when spring training resumes starting on July 1.

The Tampa Bay Rays are "actively exploring" scenarios to have fans attend the team's games when MLB games resume, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. 

"[St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman] is open-minded on this," communications director Ben Kirby told Topkin via text Thursday. "He's talked to the Rays. Everyone would like to see the trajectory of the data change. But the mayor is receptive to learning more."

Any plans to bring back fans will be contingent on social distancing guidelines as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Florida. The state has seen 5,000 new reported cases of the coronavirus in each of the past two days.

"We miss the passionate support our fans bring to Tropicana Field and Al Lang Stadium, but the health and safety of our fans, players, coaches, and staff remains paramount to our reopening plans," Rays president Brian Auld said Thursday, per Topkin. "We continue to work closely with local authorities and experts to determine a safe path forward."

The Rays aren't the only MLB team considering putting fans in the stands. Boston Red Sox president Sam Kennedy revealed Wednesday that the team, and others around baseball, were also considering attendance:

That should raise some eyebrows in the players association, as one of the negotiating points from the owners as they sought to additionally cut player salaries—beyond the previously agreed-upon prorated scale of pay—was that they were facing major revenue loss from not having fans attend games. 

Granted, it may ultimately be decided that fans should not be present because of safety measures given the coronavirus pandemic, making it a moot point. But it remains a storyline to watch as baseball begins gearing up for the 2020 season. 

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell has left Apex Baseball and hired Scott Boras to be his agent, according to Ken Rosenthal and Josh Tolentino of The Athletic.

Per that report, Snell "declined to discuss specific details regarding his decision, saying his focus centered around his next contract and wanting to secure the best possible deal for his future. Adam Karon, managing partner of Apex Baseball, declined comment."

The switch came not long after Snell said on a Twitch stream that he wasn't in favor of MLB players taking another pay cut to return to play in a shortened 2020 season after already agreeing to a prorated pay scale in March. 

"I'm sorry you guys think differently, but the risk is way the hell higher and the amount of money I'm making is way lower," he said. "Why would I think about doing that? ... Y'all gotta understand, man, for me to go—for me to take a pay cut is not happening, because the risk is through the roof. It's a shorter season, less pay."

Several MLB players backed up Snell's stance, including Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper and Colorado Rockies star Nolan Arenado.

"He ain't lying, he's right. He's speaking the truth bro. I ain't mad at him. Somebody's gotta say it, at least he manned up and said it," Harper said, per Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia. "Good for him. I love Snell, the guy's a beast. One of the best lefties in the game."

"I think he was being honest, just being real. He made a lot of good points," Arenado added, per Rosenthal. "There are some points he made that were true, that are facts. A lot of it gets misperceived. Trying to get the public to understand us, it's not going to work very well in our favor."

Snell, 27, was the 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner. Last season he had a down year, however, finishing 6-8 with a 4.29 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 147 strikeouts in 107 innings. Injuries limited him to just 23 starts. 

He is in the second year of a five-year, $50 million agreement that will take him through the 2023 season. 

The Tampa Bay Rays will open Tropicana Field for "limited and mostly individual player workouts," per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Topkin outlined some of the restrictions that players will face:

"Players will be limited to using the field for playing catch, running and other cardio exercises and some light weight work. They initially will not be allowed to throw off the mounds, hit in the batting cages or go into the weight room or clubhouse, though those restrictions could be loosened over the next few weeks as the Rays take a cautious approach."

Furthermore, only members of the 40-man roster are allowed at the field. Workouts will be done in small groups with social distancing rules enacted.

The beginning of the 2020 MLB season, which was scheduled for March 26, has been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the door has been opened for pro sports to return in Florida, with Governor Ron DeSantis saying the following in a press conference last Wednesday: "All professional sports are welcome here for practicing and for playing. What I would tell commissioners of leagues is, if you have a team in an area where they just won't let them operate, we'll find a place for you here in the state of Florida."

The Miami Heat opened their practice facility doors for individual, voluntary player workouts last Wednesday, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. 

Elsewhere, new Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady organized an informal practice session with some of his teammates at a high school field on Tuesday for a two-hour workout, per Joey Knight and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

And Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Wednesday that Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is the "clear front-runner" to hold NBA games if and when the league returns this year, with an eye toward a mid-July comeback.

Florida has already hosted numerous UFC, WWE and All Elite Wrestling events as well.

Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell doubled down on the risk needing to match the reward for him to agree to play the 2020 MLB season during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I want people to understand, what I'm saying is real," Snell told The Athletic's Josh Tolentino on Thursday. "I'm concerned just like everybody else about the virus, and I want to make sure me and my peers are taken care of."

The 2018 American League Cy Young Award winner continued:

"We want to play under circumstances that we agreed upon as a group. I will play if I get 50 percent and we play 50 percent of the season. But to accept making less than that and with more risks for our health, it’s not fair to the players. I have love for all the essential workers. I have friends and family who are in health care, working essential jobs. Everybody needs to understand this is us wanting fair treatment during a crazy time with the pandemic going on."

Snell initially made waves during a Twitch session Wednesday:

The 27-year-old's comments came as MLB owners reportedly approved a plan that would require teams to share 50 percent of their respective revenue with the MLB Players Association, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Monday.

MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark spoke out against that proposal:

Philadelphia Phillies All-Star outfielder Bryce Harper agreed with Snell during his own Twitch live stream Thursday.

"He ain't lying," Harper said, per NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman. "He's speaking the truth, bro. I ain't mad at him. Somebody's gotta say it, at least he manned up and said it. Good for him. I love Snell. The guy's a beast. One of the best lefties in the game."

Commissioner Rob Manfred discussed what a return might look with Anderson Cooper on Thursday night:

The MLB and MLBPA previously agreed on stipulations, including pay cuts, on March 27 before meeting again Tuesday.

The 2020 season was meant to happen March 26, and a new date for Opening Day has not been set.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell is ready to remain on the sidelines this year if MLB owners continue to push for revenue-sharing with the players.

While chatting on his Twitch stream, Snell told his followers anyone who thinks money shouldn't be a factor in returning to play isn't fully thinking the situation through.

"I'm risking my life," Snell said. " ... It 100 percent should be a thing."

MLB owners approved a proposal requiring all clubs to split revenue 50-50 with the MLB Players Association in a shortened season and will now look for player support to strike a deal. MLBPA executive director Tony Clark has already said revenue sharing is a nonstarter.

Snell is in agreement.

"For me to take a pay cut is not happening," Snell said. "Because the risk is through the roof. It's a shorter season. ... No, I've got to get my money. I'm not playing unless I get my mine."

Snell is hardly the first pitcher to voice that opinion. Cincinnati Reds hurler Trevor Bauer was just as incensed Wednesday over MLB's proposal, which Clark said amounted to a money grab under the cover of a global health crisis. Bauer vented in a video he posted to YouTube (h/t the Cincinnati Enquirer's Dave Clark):

"The ask is basically take more risk by getting back sooner and take less pay than we've already agreed. We've already agreed to take ... 50 percent pay cut and now they're asking us to take another pay cut. [A 50-50 revenue split] has never been done in baseball. It's not collectively bargained. It would just be for this season. It doesn't sit well with me. Slightly lighthearted, but if I'm gonna have to trust my salary to Rob Manfred marketing the game to make more money for the game, I am out on that."

As Snell described it, players have already negotiated lower salaries this season as part of their deal with MLB shortly after the league went on hiatus. Now, he said MLB would be trying to take half of what remains from the players.

"It doesn't make sense for me to lose all of that money and then go play and then be on lockdown, not around my family, not around the people I love, and get paid way the hell less," Snell said. "And then the risk of injury runs every time I step on the field. It's just not worth it. It's not. I love baseball to death. It's just not worth it."

MLB feels differently. Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich:

"The agreement between the MLB and the MLBPA in March outlining how the sport would proceed amidst the pandemic included the provision that players will be paid based on the number of games played. But the document also provided for the possibility of a discussion about the 'economic feasibility' of starting games in instances where there are no fans, giving the owners an opening to say they will not play unless the economics are revised."

Snell and Bauer are two prominent names in baseball, and both have a wide reach with different audiences. They're getting their message out while MLB owners continue to hope for a revised deal with the union.

Blake Bivens was a pitcher with the Tampa Bay Rays' Double-A Montgomery team in August when his wife Emily, 14-month-old son Cullen and mother-in-law Joan Bernard were killed.

The pitcher, who was on the road with his team in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the time, spoke publicly about their deaths for the first time Sunday during a discussion with interim senior pastor Travis Gore at The River Church in Danville, Virginia.

"First headline I see is two females and a small child were gone," Bivens said, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. "I immediately knew that was them. I found out my family was gone over a Facebook headline. I just immediately began to scream in the middle of the airport."

Topkin noted Bivens' brother-in-law, Matthew Bernard, is still awaiting trial but was arrested and charged with the three murders.

"That was the worst moment in my life," Bivens said of walking into his son's bedroom for the first time after flying home. "Nothing ever will come to being, to feeling the way I felt at that moment. Then again, I know I will see him again one day, and it won't be long."

The pitcher thanked the Rays organization for providing him so much help, especially in the immediate aftermath of the deaths, and recalled the plane trip home after he first heard about it:

"The only thing I really remember from the whole plane ride is I just went through periods, I just stared at the back of the seat the whole time, trying to get my mind to wrap around what I'm hearing.

"It's almost kind of like, 'This isn't really happening.' I was more in a state of shock. I would go through periods of shaking. Then I would start to lose it a little bit and break down and cry. It was kind of like a circle. The plane rides just seemed like they took forever."

The Montgomery Biscuits painted "BIV" behind home plate in honor of the grieving pitcher:

Topkin explained Bivens spent the remainder of the 2019 campaign at home and then pitched in Australia during the winter. He reported to spring training for this season in March before it was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.