Tampa Bay Rays infielders Yandy Diaz and Jose Caballero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca are all out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Diaz is on the bench for the third time in the last four days, but it doesn't appear he's dealing with any sort of injury. The 33-year-old hasn't been as good as he was last year when he won the American League batting title with a .330 average, but he's still been one of Tampa's best hitters with a .282/.342/.417 slash line with 14 homers and 65 RBI in 143 games played. Jonathan Aranda is playing first and batting cleanup, with Taylor Walls at short and batting ninth, and Jose Siri in center and in the seven-hole against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. Aranda recently homered in three straight games and has become a regular down the stretch, hitting .262 (16-for-61) with five homers and nine RBI in 20 games in September.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz appears to be getting a normal day of rest on Wednesday versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Jonathan Aranda will take over at first base and will hit sixth against Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler. Unless he's dealing with an injury we don't know about yet, Diaz should return on Thursday for the start of a new series against the Cleveland Guardians. He's been hot so far in September, going 11-for-32 (.344) with two home runs, a double, and six RBI in eight games played. Aranda has only received 73 at-bats in the big leagues with Tampa in 2024 and hasn't done much at the plate, slashing .205/.284/.315 with only one homer, five RBI and 13 runs scored. In a tough matchup against Wheeler on the road, Aranda is a low-upside sleeper pick for DFS lineups on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (knee) is rejoining the starting nine on Sunday afternoon. Diaz left Friday's game early with a knee injury and sat out on Saturday as well. However, this injury was not serious as the 33-year-old will serve as the designated hitter and bat in his typical leadoff spot. Diaz enjoyed a nice August, posting an excellent .297/.353/.451 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, and an 8:16 BB:K ratio. Through the summer, Diaz sits with a strong .276/.331/.406 line with 12 long balls. Under the hood, he has held an excellent 13.7% whiff rate, which shows in his 15.2% K rate, which is one of the best marks in the sport. Diaz has a difficult matchup this afternoon against San Diego right-hander Dylan Cease, and is best to leave off of your DFS lineups.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (knee) is not in Saturday's lineup. Diaz was removed from Friday's game early due to left knee patellar tendinitis. Before exiting, the 33-year-old tallied two hits with one of them leaving the yard. Currently, it is still unknown how much time Diaz will miss, so fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for the time being. As a result, infielder Brandon Lowe will cover first base this afternoon and bat in the two-hole. This opens up the keystone for Christopher Morel, who will bat in the leadoff spot. The Tampa Bay Rays are an intriguing stack in DFS this afternoon as they will face San Diego right-hander Randy Vasquez, who posted a 5.79 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP across his previous four starts.
Yandy Diaz Leaves Game Early With Left Knee Patellar Tendinitis
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz left Friday night's game against the San Diego Padres early with left knee patellar tendinitis. Diaz was replaced in the bottom of the fourth after hitting a single and was pinch-ran for by Jonathan Aranda. The team has not announced how long Diaz is expected to be out, but fantasy managers should expect him to sit out at least the rest of the weekend to give his tendinitis time to heal. His absence will loom large in Tampa as his 136 hits easily leads the Rays. If Diaz is expected to miss much time then expect Brandon Lowe to get more starts at first base, Christopher Morel to slide to second base and Junior Caminero to start at third base. Jose Caballero will likely get more starts at DH. With Caballero's 85 OPS+ he'd make a solid option in deeper leagues, though there are likely better options on the waiver wire.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (forearm) is back in the team's starting lineup on Monday against the Oakland Athletics and right-hander Joe Boyle at Oakland Coliseum, serving as the designated hitter and batting in his customary leadoff position. Brandon Lowe will get the nod at first base and occupy the two-hole, with Jose Caballero playing second and hitting third. X-rays turned up negative on Diaz's left forearm after he was hit by a pitch on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing him to return on Monday for the series opener in Oakland. Fantasy managers will want to get the 33-year-old back into their fantasy lineups for the week. He hasn't been nearly as good as 2023, when he won the American League batting title by hitting .330 with a career-high 22 home runs and 78 RBI, but Diaz has still posted a solid .273/.329/.396 slash line with 10 homers and 54 RBI in 2024.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (arm) left Sunday's game early after being hit by a pitch in his left arm. The infielder was seen being checked out by a trainer before exiting the game. Diaz was replaced by Christopher Morel, who then shifted to the hot corner as Junior Caminero moved over to first base. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to the Rays lineup on Monday evening ahead of their game against the Oakland Athletics as the 33-year-old may need a few days off. Diaz was enjoying another nice as season as he sits with a solid .273/.329/.396 line with 10 long balls. He holds a strong 15.7% K rate and an excellent 49.7% hard-hit rate. If Diaz were to miss an extended period of time, Caminero could see time at first base more often, or second baseman Brandon Lowe could shift over as well. UPDATE: Diaz was diagnosed with a left-forearm contusion.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (thumb), who left Sunday's game early against the Houston Astros with a bruised right thumb, is starting at first base and is batting leadoff on Tuesday against the hosting St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Sonny Gray. Diaz has hits in all three career at-bats against Gray and needs to be returned to all starting fantasy lineups now that he's back on the field. The 32-year-old veteran right-handed hitter was away from the team initially to begin the second half of the season due to personal issues but has gone 10-for-31 (.323) with two home runs, two doubles and four RBI in eight games since returning from the restricted list on July 26. The Cuban slugger hasn't been as good in the average department this year compared to last year, when he won the American League batting title with a .330 mark, and his power has been down as well with only 10 homers after setting a career-high with 22 in 2023.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz was taken out of Sunday's game against the Houston Astros early after fielding a hard-hit grounder that struck him in the left wrist. Diaz stayed in the game directly after but eventually had to come out. Fortunately, the X-rays came back negative and the Rays are considering Diaz day-to-day. He was 1-for-2 with a walk before being taken out. The 32-year-old is having a down season compared to his breakout 2023, but in the last month he's batting .323 with a .940 OPS, so maybe things are taking a turn for the better.
Yandy Diaz Homers In Rays' Victory Saturday Over Astros
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz homered in a 6-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday. The veteran hit his 10th home run of the season off Tayler Scott in the seventh inning. He's hitting .276 with the aforementioned 10 home runs, 50 RBI, and 40 runs scored in 447 plate appearances. Diaz continues to hit in the leadoff position and should continue in that role for the Rays. Diaz had been on the restricted earlier in the week for personal reasons due to a family matter, and it is great to see him back and thriving for the Rays.
Yandy Díaz
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