Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/designated hitter Jonathan Aranda will take a seat on Wednesday against the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks with left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez getting the nod on the bump. With the left-handed-hitting Aranda on the bench to start, Curtis Mead will play first base for the Rays and hit fifth against Rodriguez, a pitcher he's never faced. This should just be a routine day of rest against a southpaw for the 26-year-old Aranda, who should be rostered in all fantasy formats after starting the year slashing an impressive .344/.442/.656 with a 1.09 OPS, four home runs, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored in his first 64 at-bats. The Mexican slugger is on an early-season tear, but he's gone just 1-for-10 with four walks and four K's against lefties. Mead has been cold, going 4-for-29 with no homers and one RBI in 2025.
Jonathan Aranda, Brandon Lowe Sitting Against A Lefty
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda and second baseman Brandon Lowe will both start on the bench against a left-hander on Wednesday against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. Curtis Mead will make the start at first base and will bat second, while Coco Montes is starting at second and hitting seventh against Red Sox left-hander Sean Newcomb. Aranda is hitting a strong .414 (19-for-46) on the year with three home runs, 11 RBI and 10 runs scored, but the Mexican slugger has yet to start in 2025 against a southpaw. Lowe has only made one start this year against a lefty, and like Aranda, he also has three home runs on the season in 61 at-bats. Mead has DFS upside as a deep sleeper in the two-hole on Wednesday, but he's gone just 4-for-22 in the early going for Tampa with an RBI and a run scored. Still, he's the better DFS sleeper option than Montes.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda went 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk in Tuesday's 7-4 loss to their division-rival Boston Red Sox. Aranda continues to mash, posting his third home run in the early going with a white-hot .413 average (19-for-46) and robust 1.242 OPS. The 26-year-old is just three homers off his 2024 total in fewer than half the at-bats it took him to do so while notching seven doubles, 11 RBI, and ten runs scored. His batted-ball metrics are off the charts thus far, with stark increases in average exit velocity (96.5 MPH) and hard-hit percentage (62.2%) while dropping his strikeout rate (18.5%) and raising his walk percentage (11.1%) from a season ago.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda is not in the starting lineup on Sunday when they conclude a series against the Atlanta Braves. With southpaw Chris Sale on the bump, the Rays will opt for the left-handed bat to sit out of the starting nine. Fantasy managers should expect Aranda return to the lineup on Monday when they face Boston right-hander Tanner Houck. Over his previous six contests, Aranda has been swinging a hot bat as he has posted a strong .429/.500/.810 slash line with two doubles and two home runs. Instead, Curtis Mead will start at first base and bat in the two-hole on Sunday afternoon. Mead is not worth targeting in this matchup as he will face Atlanta ace Chris Sale. Aranda remains a viable option in 12+ team formats as a solid corner infielder.
Jonathan Aranda Slugs Second Home Run Of The Season
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Jonathan Aranda went a perfect 3-for-3 on Saturday afternoon in Tampa Bay, with a solo home run in the ninth inning, three RBI, and a pair of walks. His heroics weren't quite enough, though, as the Rays fell to the Braves, 5-4. The 26-year-old lefty is still stuck in a platoon sometimes, but he has made the most of his chances and is now 14-for-37 (.378) on the season with two home runs, six doubles, seven RBI, and a .488 wOBA. He looks like he's on his way to a breakout season now that he's healthy. He should remain a key contributor to Tampa's offense going forward, especially against right-handed pitching.
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 infielder Jonathan Aranda is in line for regular work as the team's designated hitter in 2025 and as the left-handed complement to first baseman Yandy Diaz. Aranda was expected to have a big opportunity as a regular in 2024, but a late-spring injury kept him from contributing at the major-league level until September. Aranda had an impressive .836 OPS and 139 wRC+ with five home runs in 24 games. He also ranked 19th in barrel rate (15.0%) and was tied for 25th in expected wOBA (.375) among 183 players with at least 75 plate appearances in September. At the very least, the 26-year-old should be Tampa's go-to DH against right-handed pitching, setting him up as a potential breakout player in 2025 at a solid value in fantasy drafts.
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda and outfielder Josh Lowe are out of the team's starting lineup on Tuesday against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park with a left-hander on the mound. Brandon Lowe will start at first base and bat second, with Jonny DeLuca manning right field and hitting third for the Rays versus Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal. Skubal is one of the best all-around pitchers in the game, so DFS managers will probably be looking to fade both Lowe and DeLuca on Tuesday. Aranda has gone deep in three straight games but will get a day off with a tough southpaw on the mound. Since being called back up on Aug. 30, he has hit .274 (17-for-62) with five homers, four doubles and 10 RBI in 20 games. Josh Lowe has hit just .227 (10-for-44) with none of his 10 home runs and 16 strikeouts in 49 plate appearances against lefties in 2024.
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda didn't hit your prototypical walk-off home run, but his solo shot in the sixth inning proved to be the game-winner in a tight 1-0 win over the Blue Jays on Friday. Aranda has now hit safely in 10 of the last 11 games he's started, going 12-for-40 (.300) over that stretch with three doubles, three home runs, four RBI, and seven runs scored. During his time in the minors, the 26-year-old has proven he's got some pop in his bat, including a 25-homer season at Triple-A in 2023, but for fantasy managers navigating the fantasy playoffs, there are probably better upside options out there on the waiver wire.
The Tampa Bay Rays recalled infielder/designated hitter Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham on Friday and optioned outfielder Kameron Misner to Durham in a corresponding move. Aranda, who was expected to be a big part of Tampa's lineup before the start of the regular season, has only played in 18 games at the big-league level in his third year in the majors, going 10-for-47 (.213) with a homer, two doubles, three RBI and 14 strikeouts in 52 plate appearances. Part of the reason he's been away from the major-league club for so long is that he missed several months while in the minors due to an oblique strain. The 26-year-old was producing at the plate for the Bulls since returning from the injured list, and he may be worth a look in deeper fantasy leagues if he gets regular playing time for Tampa in the final month of the regular season.
Jonathan Aranda
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