Jonathan Aranda, Christopher Morel Sitting Against Pirates
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/designated hitter Jonathan Aranda and outfielder Christopher Morel are both on the bench to start Tuesday's game at George M. Steinbrenner Field versus the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates. Curtis Mead is making the start at first base and is batting fifth, while rookie Kameron Misner is starting in left field and hitting sixth for the Rays against rookie right-hander Thomas Harrington, who will be making his big-league debut. Aranda has gotten off to a hot start this year by going 5-for-9 with four doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in his first four games. When healthy, he'll be a lineup regular for the Rays at either first base or the designated hitter spot. Morel has gone 3-for-9 in the early going with an RBI, two runs scored, two walks and four strikeouts in four games so far. In addition to Misner, rookie Jake Mangum is starting in right field for Tampa on Tuesday.
MLB.com's Adam Berry writes that Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Christopher Morel is set to be the team's starting left fielder in 2025. In addition to Morel, Richie Palacios is likely to get plenty of work in left field and center field alongside Morel and Jonny DeLuca, respectively. After being traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Rays in 2024, Morel started 20 games at third base and 11 in left field. However, infield prospect Junior Caminero is fully expected to be the team's full-time third baseman in 2025, which will shift Morel to a permanent outfield role. The 25-year-old Dominican right-handed power hitter had a mere .547 OPS in his 190 plate appearances for the Rays last year, so he'll need to improve on that or risk losing valuable playing time to Palacios. Morel hits the ball hard when he makes contact, but the problem is he has trouble making consistent contact.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Christopher Morel and shortstop Taylor Walls are getting the day off on Friday for the series opener against the division-rival Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Richie Palacios is making the start in left field and is hitting seventh, with Jose Caballero returning to shortstop and batting eighth against Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta. Morel has reached the 20-homer mark for the second straight season, but he's also hitting under .200 in 149 combined games with the Rays and Chicago Cubs. He's been even worse since coming to Tampa at the trade deadline, hitting .183 (30-for-164) with just three home runs, four doubles, two triples, seven RBI and 55 strikeouts in 180 trips to the plate. Palacios has mainly been a speed threat for fantasy managers in AL-only leagues with a career-high 19 stolen bases in 2024, but he hasn't provided much else in just 90 games.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder/third baseman Christopher Morel (Achilles) is not in the starting nine on Saturday as the Rays continue a series against the Cleveland Guardians. Morel was lifted early from Friday's game after suffering an Achilles injury while running. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Sunday's lineup as the 25-year-old may not need to be sidelined long. As a result, Yandy Diaz will shift to the designated hitter spot, which will open up first base for Brandon Lowe. Both Diaz and Lowe are worth a look at in DFS this afternoon as they face Cleveland southpaw Joey Cantillo, who has bounced between the rotation and the bullpen this summer. However, he looked quite sharp in his previous outing striking out 11 batters but still sits with a hefty 5.96 ERA.
Christopher Morel Leaves Game Early With Right-Achilles Discomfort
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Christopher Morel left Friday night's game early with right-Achilles discomfort, according to the team. Morel was replaced by Dylan Carlson in the top of the third after recording a single and rounding first hard before returning to the base, apparently tweaking his Achilles in the process. No further update has been provided by the team as of yet, but until then, it should be assumed that the 25-year-old's status is day-to-day. Morel has been subpar with the Rays since being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, hitting for just a 66 OPS+ in 150 plate appearances. Much of the drop in production has been due to a huge drop in power, hitting for a .583 OPS with Tampa compared to .675 with Chicago before he was traded. Fantasy managers likely haven't been counting on Morel, but if they need another option from the Rays to finish the season, they should consider Jonny DeLuca, who is hitting for a 125 wRC+ over the last 30 days in the Rays' outfield.
Christopher Morel Homers In First Game With Rays Tuesday
Tampa Bay Rays utilityman Christopher Morel made his presence known immediately with his new team in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Marlins. Playing second base and batting third, Morel went 1-for-4 with a solo home run. He was also hit by a pitch. The 25-year-old roped a fourth-inning Edward Cabrera curveball into the left-center seats for his first HR with the Rays and his 19th on the season. He has already proven to be an erratic hitter in his young career and this season has been no different, as he has slashed .199/.303/.380 with 45 runs scored, 52 RBI, and seven stolen bases in 426 plate appearances. He has cut his strikeout rate down to 24.2% and has gotten unlucky on balls in play despite hitting the ball hard, so perhaps a change of scenery will help turn things around for him.
Third baseman Christopher Morel has been traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in the deal that will send Isaac Paredes to the Chicago Cubs. Morel hit .199 this season with 18 homers and 51 RBI for the Cubs before the trade. The 25-year-old offers some pop in his bat but the batting average is an issue as are his 103 strikeouts on the season. Morel's role in Tampa Bay is not clear with top prospect Junior Caminero knocking at the door at Triple-A Durham as Paredes' replacement as the everyday third baseman. The Rays are known to be creative in getting players into the lineup so it's possible Morel could be used in the outfield or designated hitter rotation.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Kansas City Royals. The young slugger needs to clear his head after going hitless with four strikeouts during his previous series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Morel has plenty of potential with the bat, but he hasn't put it all together yet. In his absence, Miles Mastrobuoni will play third base and bat seventh versus right-hander Brady Singer. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel nailed a pair of homers on Sunday, leading the Cubs to an 8-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Morel went 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBI to round out his line. The toolsy infielder has had a strange season, slashing just .202/.303/.387 while playing miserable defense, yet somehow being quite useful in fantasy by tacking on 42 runs, 18 homers, 50 RBI, and seven swipes in 341 at-bats. His statcast page is also a sea of red, so he could be a solid buy-low going into the second half.
Chicago Cubs third baseman Christopher Morel is getting a breather on Saturday as the team takes on the visiting Los Angeles Angels at Wrigley Field. Morel is in the midst of a modest three-game hitting streak that has seen him go 3-for-11 with an RBI, no walks and six strikeouts in 12 plate appearances. The 25-year-old Dominican right-handed slugger typically sells out for power and can be very streaky at the plate. He's hitting under .200 on the season but has 15 home runs, 46 RBI, seven stolen bases and 38 RBI in 308 at-bats. Morel is useful for his power/speed combination in most fantasy leagues, but he's most certainly going to be a drain on your team batting average. David Bote will play third base and bat eighth for the Cubs on Saturday against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson. Bote is hitting .250 with a .564 OPS and an RBI in 12 career at-bats against Anderson.
Jonathan Aranda
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