Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays have declined their $13 million option for veteran center fielder Kevin Kiermaier.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted the St. Louis Cardinals showed interest in Kiermaier in the past and could make a run at him.

The 32-year-old becomes a free agent and is bound to have a market thanks to his defensive record. He's a three-time Gold Glove winner and one of MLB's top defenders at any position.

"I'm in a unique position with what my defensive skill set is, and I'll never shy away from that," he told reporters in 2021. "I believe I'm the best defensive outfielder in the game. I'd put my talents up with anyone, and I'm very confident in saying that."

Kiermaier's durability and offense—or lack thereof—have lowered his value, though.

He has crossed the 150-game threshold just once and averaged 108 appearances per season since 2014—excluding the 2020 campaign shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, he was sidelined with a quad strain and then again because of a sprained left wrist. Last season, a hip injury required season-ending surgery in August.

Even if Kiermaier logs a full 162-game schedule in 2023, his contributions at the plate could be limited. For his career, he has a .715 OPS and a 98 OPS+, per Baseball Reference. Among qualified hitters since 2014, he's 343rd in wOBA (.308) on FanGraphs.

Sometimes players discover a new level offensively thanks to a swing change or adapting their approach in the batter's box. Josh Donaldson is a prime example of the former, while Marcus Semien falls in the latter category.

For Kiermaier, it would seem the ship has sailed to be a radically different hitter. Any breakthrough that might have happened would have come by now.

Despite his glaring flaws, Kiermaier figures to be an attractive target for a contender in need of a defensive upgrade in the outfield.

Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians set a new Major League Baseball record for offensive futility.

Per MLB.com's Sarah Langs, it was the first playoff game ever without a single run scored through 13 innings.

Oscar González put an end to the scoreless drought with a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the 15th inning.

What started out feeling like an excellent pitching duel eventually turned into a treatise on how inept can two playoff teams be with the bats.

Tyler Glasnow (Rays) and Triston McKenzie (Guardians) were on the mount to start the game. Glasnow, in just his third start of the season, allowed two hits in five innings. McKenzie gave up two hits in six innings of work.

The results looked similar when the bullpens took over. González's homer was the only extra-base hit from either team.

The Guardians had the best scoring opportunity during regulation. Myles Straw and Steven Kwan walked to start the sixth. Amed Rosario was hit by a pitch on the first pitch he saw from Rays reliever Jason Adam.

José Ramírez, who hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning of Game 1, struck out after getting ahead 2-0 in the count. Adam got out of the inning when Josh Naylor grounded into a double play.

The Rays had multiple opportunities in extra innings to get a run on the board. They had a runner on third base in the 10th, 12th and 15th innings, but were never able to take advantage of it.

It looked like the 15th was going to be Tampa's breakthrough. Vidal Brujan singled to leadoff the frame and advanced to third on Manuel Margot's one-out single. Guardians reliever Sam Hentges came back to strike out Francisco Mejia and Jose Siri to end the inning.

Cleveland's win was its first playoff series victory since beating the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 ALCS.

Next up for the Guardians is a matchup with the New York Yankees in the ALDS. Game 1 will be played at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

José Ramírez was the toast of MLB Twitter on Friday after hitting a two-run home run in the Cleveland Guardians' 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the teams' Wild Card Series.

The third baseman's sixth-inning blast off Rays ace Shane McClanahan was the difference for the Guardians, who also received 7.2 innings of one-run, eight-strikeout ball from starter Shane Bieber to the delight of the home crowd at Progressive Field.

Here's a look at some social-media reaction to Ramírez's latest standout moment following a regular season in which he ranked 13th among MLB hitters in FanGraphs' WAR (6.2):

Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase also played a key role in the series-opening victory, recording the last four outs to secure a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three matchup.

Rays center fielder Jose Siri posted the only run for the visitors with a solo homer in the sixth.

As expected, it was a mostly pitching-dominated game with the two clubs combining for just 11 hits while the pitchers racked up 16 strikeouts.

Game 2 is scheduled for 12:07 p.m. ET on Saturday at Progressive Field. The expected pitching matchup will see Tampa's Tyler Glasnow take on Cleveland's Triston McKenzie.

A Guardians victory would send them into a Division Series clash with the New York Yankees. A Rays win would lead to a decisive Game 3 on Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians will face off for the second time in two weeks in the American League Wild Card series.

Tampa Bay and Cleveland gave us a sign of how their postseason series could go since they were involved in three one-run games and two that went into extra innings.

The first series to start play on Friday should be dominated by pitching. Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie headline Cleveland's rotation, while the return of Tyler Glasnow from Tommy John surgery provided extra hope for the Rays.

Cleveland's pitching staff has been one of the best in baseball down the stretch. Codify Baseball broke down the September numbers last week as the Guardians were in the process of wrapping up the AL Central crown.

Cleveland has an excellent one-two punch in Bieber and McKenzie that could shut down the Rays offense to win the series in two games.

The latter has been the breakout star of the season for the Guardians. MLB Network's Xavier Scruggs analyzed why the tall right-hander has become such a problem for opposing hitters.

Randy Arozarena, who was the star of the 2020 postseason, will be one of the many hitters the Cleveland pitching staff has to slow down. Arozarena started Wednesday on a 1-for-29 cold streak.

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times pointed out that the Rays need him to flip back into his old postseason form.

Tampa Bay can try to counter Cleveland's strong pitchers with Glasnow and AL Cy Young candidate Shane McClanahan. McClanahan and the other left-handed arms on the Tampa Bay staff could give José Ramírez and others trouble, as WTSP's Evan Closky noted:

Against left-handed pitching, Cleveland ranks 27th in OPS and has the fewest amount of home runs.

Those numbers could persuade the Rays to start Jeffrey Springs over Drew Rasmussen in Game 3 if the series gets that far. Cal Quantrill would be Cleveland's likely Game 3 starter.

Cleveland has an edge in the bullpen, and it may be near unhittable in the final few innings thanks to a group led by Emmanuel Clase, who as Codify Baseball noted, has been tough to hit all season.

The Guardians may be the youngest team in baseball, but they are stacked with pitching talent that may have to lead them past the Rays if they continue to struggle against lefties.

The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched their fourth straight playoff berth after Friday's 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

Facing American League Cy Young contender Framber Valdez, the Rays got to him for six runs in 5.1 innings. Yandy Diaz's two-out, two-run double in the top of the sixth broke the game open.

Drew Rasmussen turned in one of his best starts of the season with two runs allowed over seven innings against the AL West champions.

A deep starting rotation and bullpen have buoyed the Rays back into the playoffs. Shane McClanahan has led the charge on the mound with a 12-7 record, a 2.51 ERA and 192 strikeouts. He also sports a 0.92 WHIP.

Fellow American League All-Star Game starters Jeffrey Springs and Rasmussen have also posted sub-three ERA this year en route to guiding Tampa Bay to the second-lowest team ERA in the American League.

The bullpen has been lights out as well. The Rays don't sport a traditional closer, with numerous relievers getting their shot on any given night.

But those relief pitchers have been up to the task. Jason Adam has been the best of the bunch with a 1.56 ERA and eight saves in 63.1 innings. Brooks Raley has also been sensational with a 2.70 ERA.

The pitching staff has carried a team that has sported an average batting lineup at best. Diaz (team-high .825 OPS) and Randy Arozarena (20 home runs, 89 RBI) have been the best of the bunch, but injuries to Brandon Lowe, Mike Zunino and Kevin Kiermaier have led to some team-wide struggles. Tampa is just 11th in homers and OPS in the AL overall.

Still, a great pitching staff could go a long way toward a deep playoff run for the Rays, which are looking for their first pennant since 2008 and first-ever World Series victory.

The Rays are still jockeying for playoff positioning with five games left in the regular season. They are currently the No. 3 wild card in the AL, trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by two games as the No. 1 wild card and Seattle Mariners by one-half game for the second spot.

The top two wild-card teams will play each other in a three-game series. The No. 3 wild card will take on the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan was removed from Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros after the fourth inning with an apparent shoulder injury, per Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports.

Rays manager Kevin Cash and athletic trainer Mike Sandoval went out to the mound after they saw McClanahan moving his shoulder in discomfort, according to Whitaker. He was then removed.

The Rays later announced that McClanahan exited with left neck tightness/spasm, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

McClanahan had allowed five runs on five hits in four innings before exiting. He was replaced by Shawn Armstrong.

It's a tough blow for McClanahan, who is having a solid 2022 season. Entering Tuesday's game, he had a 12-5 record with a 2.13 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 187 strikeouts in 152.1 innings across 25 starts.

The 25-year-old is in his second season with the Rays, which selected him in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft out of the University of South Florida in Tampa.

In his rookie season, he went 10-6 with a 3.43 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 141 strikeouts in 123.1 innings across 25 starts. He also pitched in the 2021 postseason, though he struggled in two games against the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS, allowing five runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings.

If McClanahan misses any time, Drew Rasmussen, Corey Kluber, Jeffrey Springs and Ryan Yarbrough will be tasked with holding down the rotation.

The Rays entered Tuesday's game third in the AL East with a 82-65 record, 6.5 games behind the first-place New York Yankees and one game behind the second-place Toronto Blue Jays.

The Tampa Bay Rays made some history on Thursday by becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to start a lineup featuring all Latino players, according to Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Florida.

The Rays' starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays featured Yandy Diaz, Randy Arozarena, Wander Franco, Harold Ramirez, Manuel Margot, David Peralta, Isaac Paredes, Rene Pinto and Jose Siri.

The lineup also occurred on Roberto Clemente Day, which honors the Hall of Famer for paving the way for Latinos in MLB.

Clemente was one of the legendary Latino faces in baseball alongside those such as Juan Marichal and Fernando Valenzuela.

The Puerto Rican played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-72 and won two World Series titles, the NL MVP award in 1966, 12 Gold Gloves, four batting titles and earned 15 All-Star selections over his 18-year career.

In 2,433 games, he hit .317/.359/.475 with 240 home runs, 1,305 RBI and 83 stolen bases. The right fielder finished with exactly 3,000 hits.

Tampa Bay's all-Latino lineup is quite impressive and is headlined by Franco, a 21-year-old who signed an 11-year, $182 million deal with the Rays in November 2021.

Franco, who is from the Dominican Republic, entered Thursday's game hitting .263/.306/.394 with five home runs, 26 RBI and five stolen bases in 65 games this season. The shortstop finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021.

Arozarena, who is from Cuba, is another face of Tampa Bay's lineup. The right fielder won the Rookie of the Year award in 2021 and is hitting .265/.330/.450 with 19 home runs, 78 RBI and 30 stolen bases in 137 games this year.

Here is where the remainder of Tampa Bay's starting lineup is from and a look at their 2022 season numbers:

• 3B Yandy Diaz, Cuba: .295/.404/.421 with 8 HR, 51 RBI, 3 SB in 129 G
• 1B Harold Ramirez, Colombia: .318/.360/.429 with 6 HR, 54 RBI, 3 SB in 102 G
• DH Manuel Margot, Dominican Republic: .301/.351/.410 with 3 HR, 39 RBI, 6 SB in 72 G
• LF David Peralta, Venezuela: .252/.315/.430 with 12 HR, 52 RBI, 1 SB in 119 G
• 2B Isaac Paredes, Mexico: .214/.296/.453 with 18 HR, 40 RBI in 93 G
• C Rene Pinto, Venezuela: .206/.239/.309 with 2 HR, 9 RBI in 22 G
• CF Jose Siri, Dominican Republic: .210/.262/.335 with 5 HR, 19 RBI, 11 SB in 86 G

The Rays held a 4-0 lead over the Blue Jays in the bottom of the fourth inning. They entered Thursday's game third in the AL East with a 79-63 record and in the last AL wild-card spot.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed pitcher Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left shoulder impingement.

McClanahan was scratched from his scheduled start Tuesday against the Miami Marlins because of the injury. Further evaluation was scheduled for Wednesday, but the Rays have not announced anything related to his status beyond placing him on the IL.

Tampa recalled pitcher Calvin Faucher from Triple-A Durham to replace McClanahan on the roster.

McClanahan is 11-5 with a 2.20 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 182 strikeouts in 147.1 innings this season. He was named to his first All-Star team in July, emerging as the ace for a Rays squad that's in the thick of the playoff picture.

Tampa is currently leading the American League Wild Card race with a 71-57 record. Losing McClanahan could be a critical blow with five teams competing for three spots, all within five games of one another.

Corey Kluber and McClanahan have been the only Rays starters to consistently work deep into games this season, so the latter's absence could add some extra work for an already-taxed bullpen.

The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly scratched ace Shane McClanahan from his Tuesday start against the Miami Marlins because of a shoulder concern, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Nightengale noted the southpaw will undergo further tests.

Shawn Armstrong started in his place.

The results of those tests on McClanahan could go a long way toward determining how the rest of the Rays' season unfolds.

He made his first All-Star Game this season and has been excellent with a 2.20 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 182 strikeouts in 147.1 innings. This is just the second big league campaign of his career after he posted a 3.43 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 141 strikeouts in 123.1 innings as a rookie.

If he does return to the mound and continues to pitch at his current pace, a Cy Young could be waiting given his overall ranks in the American League:

Tampa Bay is 70-57 and seven games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. It also holds the top American League wild-card spot with a half-game lead over the Seattle Mariners, one-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays and three-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the battle for three spots.

Anything less than a playoff spot at this point would be a massive disappointment for the Rays, but their position will be far more precarious if McClanahan is sidelined.

In the meantime, they will need to rely on Corey Kluber, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs to anchor the rotation.