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Mariners Place Rowdy Tellez On Release Waivers

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June 26: The Mariners announced Thursday that Tellez is on unconditional release waivers. Assuming he clears, he’ll be free to sign with any team for the prorated league minimum.

June 20: The Mariners have designated first baseman Rowdy Tellez for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to outfielder/first baseman Luke Raley, who’s been activated from the injured list after missing seven weeks with an oblique strain.

Tellez, 30, is in his eighth big league season and has popped 11 home runs while serving as Seattle’s primary first baseman. Early in the year, he was expected to see more time at designated hitter for skipper Dan Wilson, but the injury to Raley and ongoing injury issues for infielder Jorge Polanco (who was accordingly relegated to DH work) pushed Tellez into the field on a regular basis.

After a disastrous start to his season, Tellez righted the ship in mid-April and has been a serviceable but flawed source of power in the heart of the Mariners’ order. He reached base just once in his first 23 plate appearances but has since swatted 11 homers and slugged .484. That power comes with a low average and bottom-of-the-barrel OBP, however. Tellez rarely walks, is easy to position against defensively due to his extreme-pull approach, and is measured by Statcast as the slowest player in baseball (eliminating virtually any chance of him reaching via infield hit).

Dating back to April 11, Tellez has taken 162 turns at the plate and is hitting .229/.265/.484. He’s been shielded almost entirely from left-handed pitching, receiving just 14 plate appearances and reaching base only twice (one single, one hit-by-pitch). He’s hitting .219/.257/.463 against right-handed pitching this year.

With Raley nearing a return, it seemed likely that either Tellez or fellow veteran first base option Donovan Solano could be pushed off the roster. Since both Tellez and Raley hit left-handed, the Mariners opted to move on from the veteran who can keep a platoon intact. Solano has helped his cause by hitting better over the past month, albeit in an excessively limited role. He’s batted .333/.394/.467 since May 20 but done so in only 33 plate appearances (26 of them against lefties).

For the time being, Solano and Raley will presumably platoon at first base. That’s not an ideal setup, as Raley is more comfortable in the outfield than at first and Solano has struggled this season overall. The Mariners will, at the very least, likely explore the trade market for righty-swinging options at first base in the weeks ahead. Dominic Canzone has provided slightly better-than-average offense in right field since being called up earlier this month (.233/.303/.400 in 33 plate appearances), but if he struggles like he has in two prior MLB seasons, the Mariners could move Raley to right field. That would set them up to either give prospect Tyler Locklear a run at first base or explore the trade market for a full-time upgrade either at first base or in right field.

The Mariners will have five days to trade Tellez or place him on waivers. He originally signed a minor league contract with Seattle but locked in a $1.5MM salary when he made the roster after a big spring performance. He’s still owed about $806K of that sum, as of this writing.

Any team that claims Tellez off waivers would assume the entirety of that remaining salary. If the M’s find an interested trade partner, they could include some cash to offset the salary in exchange for what would still likely be a nominal prospect return. Since waivers are a 48-hour process, we’ll know the outcome of Tellez’s DFA within a maximum of one week’s time. In the event that he clears waivers, Tellez has enough service time to elect free agency and retain the remaining money on this year’s salary.

Julio Rodriguez Helped Off Field Following Apparent Injury

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TODAY: X-rays were negative on Rodriguez’s ankle, and he told Daniel Kramer and other reporters that he was already feeling good enough that there “a high chance that I should be in the lineup” as early as today.  It seems like the Mariners will still hold Rodriguez out for precautionary reasons at least, yet it appears as though the outfielder has dodged a major injury bullet.

“In the beginning, it was very painful, and I couldn’t really feel my foot a whole lot or move it a whole lot — and not even like walk properly,” Rodriguez said.  “But after we kind of started treating it, everything started reacting better right away.”

JUNE 7: The Mariners suffered a potentially devastating blow this evening when center fielder Julio Rodriguez was helped off the field by members of the team’s athletic staff due to an apparent injury. The injury occurred (as relayed by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com) when a hard-hit line drive off the bat of Randy Arozarena collided with Rodriguez’s leg while he was attempting to steal third base. Rodriguez was replaced in center field by Leody Taveras.

It’s not yet clear how severe Rodriguez’s injury is, but even a brief absence would be a tough break for a Mariners club that has already lost ten of their last 14 games, including an active four-game losing streak. That slide has seen Seattle drop from in the driver’s seat in the AL West to three games back of the Astros and one game out of an AL Wild Card spot. That slide can’t be attributed to Rodriguez, who has started to shed his reputation as a slow starter this season by slashing a respectable .248/.316/.416 (114 wRC+) with even stronger peripheral numbers across his first 61 games this season. Rodriguez has ten steals, ten homers, and is striking out at a career-low 19.6% clip to this point in the season all while playing his typical excellent defense in center field.

For now, there’s little for Mariners fans to do other than wait for updates from club brass. Rodriguez appears likely to undergo testing before a timetable for his return will become available. Perhaps he’s suffered only a contusion and will be day-to-day or require only a short stint on the IL. On the other hand, a bone bruise on Rodriguez’s leg would likely require at least a month, as it has for fellow outfielders like Mike Trout and Cody Bellinger in recent years, although it’s at least possible it could take significantly longer as has been the case for players like Kyle Tucker and Anthony Rendon.

That dynamic of a talent would be difficult to lose for any club, but that’s especially true of the Mariners given their current situation in the outfield. With Victor Robles and Luke Raley both already on the injured list, infielders from the club’s bench mix like Miles Mastrobuoni and Dylan Moore have been tasked with helping out on the grass alongside the club’s regular trio of Rodriguez, Arozarena, and Taveras. If Rodriguez were to require a stint on the injured list, Taveras would likely slide over from right field to center while depth option currently at Triple-A like Dominic Canzone or Rhylan Thomas took over in right field.

Canzone is a career .206/.263/.387 hitter in the majors and Thomas has just three games in the majors under his belt, so it goes without saying that either would be a subpar replacement for the Mariners’ star hitter. The good news is that further help may be on the way soon: MLB.com suggests that Raley could begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week. A .242/.328/.463 (127 wRC+) hitter since the start of the 2023 campaign, Raley’s return could help to make up for any time Rodriguez misses, at least against right-handed pitching.

Luke Raley Out At Least Six Weeks; Mariners Select Rhylan Thomas

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12:55pm: Raley will be sidelined for at least the next six weeks, general manager Justin Hollander announced to the Mariners beat (link via Adam Jude of the Seattle Times). Raley suffered the strain during batting practice yesterday.

12:25pm: The Mariners announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Sauryn Lao for assignment and selected the contract of outfielder Rhylan Thomas from Triple-A Tacoma. Thomas will take the active roster spot of outfielder Luke Raley, who is headed to the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain.

Raley’s injury comes at a particularly poor time. The 30-year-old slugger has been in the process of shaking off a dreadful early slump — like the majority of Seattle’s offense — and had heated up with a .273/.419/.424 output over his past 43 trips to the plate. Even while he was slumping early on, Raley maintained a patient approach and is now up to 10 free passes on the season. His 11.9% walk rate is nearly double that of the 5.9% he posted in 2024, and he’s also posting career-best batted-ball metrics (91.6 mph average exit velocity, 49% hard-hit rate).

Raley becomes the second Mariners right fielder lost to the injured list before the calendar even flips to May. He’d already shifted from first base to right field to cover for the injured Victor Robles, who’s out until midseason.

Thomas, 25, came to the Mariners last summer in the trade sending reliever Ryne Stanek to the Mets. The former 11th-round pick has enjoyed a terrific start to his season in Tacoma, slashing .319/.363/.362 in 104 plate appearances. He’s always posted low strikeout rates in the minors but has taken his hit tool to new heights in 2025, fanning just four times so far (3.8%). Thomas has never hit for power and has only one round-tripper and one double on the current season, but he’s 6-for-9 in stolen base attempts. He’ll give the Mariners some speed in the outfield mix and the type of high-contact bat the team has lacked in recent seasons.

Thomas, Samad Taylor and Miles Mastrobuoni all figure to see time in the outfield while Raley is out. Utilityman Dylan Moore would’ve been an option as well, but he just landed on the injured list this week due to shoulder inflammation. The M’s will go with a patchwork group for the time being, although given the length of Raley’s absence and the typically active nature of Seattle’s front office — this past offseason notwithstanding — it stands to reason that the Mariners could add to that mix via waivers, free agency or a small trade. True difference-making regulars aren’t likely to be available until closer to July’s trade deadline, but there are veterans on minor league deals and fringe big league outfielders who’ll be designated for assignment throughout the course of Raley’s IL stint.

The 25-year-old Lao was only selected to the big league roster last week. He made his MLB debut with the M’s on April 22 and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He was optioned back to Tacoma shortly thereafter.

Lao originally signed out of the Dominican Republic with the Dodgers and spent the first four seasons of his career as an infielder. He moved to the mound in 2023 and hasn’t looked back. The 6’2″ righty has a career 3.61 ERA in 122 minor league frames, including a 2.25 mark in 12 Triple-A innings this season. Lao doesn’t have the glaring command troubles displayed by so many former position players who transition to the mound; he’s walked only 6.5% of his minor league opponents against a robust 26.6% strikeout rate.

Lao is averaging a pedestrian 92.9 mph on his four-seamer in Triple-A and sat at just 90.7 mph with the pitch in his lone MLB appearance, which could work against him, but Lao has a solid (if brief) track record on the mound and a full slate of minor league options remaining. The track record and slate of options could appeal to another club. The Mariners will have five days to trade Lao or place him on outright waivers. If he hits waivers, that’d be a 48-hour process, meaning the maximum length of his DFA window will be one week.

Mariners Notes: Crawford, Raley, Emerson

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Before tonight’s matchup with the Yankees, the Mariners reinstated J.P. Crawford from the 10-day injured list. Seattle optioned Leo Rivas to Triple-A Tacoma to open a roster spot. Dylan Moore is starting at shortstop tonight, but Crawford will be available off the bench and could return to the lineup tomorrow.

Crawford appeared in 22 games before suffering an oblique strain in late April. He was off to a slow start, hitting .198/.296/.302 with two homers over 98 plate appearances. The left-handed hitting infielder had the best season of his career in 2023, when he popped a personal-high 19 homers with a .266/.380/.438 slash over 145 games. Crawford walked at a near-15% clip while striking out less than 20% of the time.

Moore has played shortstop in Crawford’s absence. The right-handed hitter has performed admirably, hitting .239/.316/.507 with 11 extra-base hits in 22 games. Moore has played well enough that he should stay in the lineup in a multi-positional role with Crawford’s return. In the short term, that could come at second base, where Jorge Polanco remains day to day as he battles hamstring soreness. Luis Urías has drawn in the lineup at third base in recent days, pushing Josh Rojas to the keystone.

Seattle could also mix and match more frequently at first base, although that’s not on account of injury. Luke Raley got the start there against Corbin Burnes in yesterday’s series finale in Baltimore. That pushed Ty France to the bench and allowed Dominic Canzone to draw into left field. It was Raley’s fourth start of the season at first base, in addition to his 24 starts in the outfield.

Adam Jude of the Seattle Times writes that manager Scott Servais could more frequently pencil Raley in at first base against right-handed starters. That’d allow the M’s to get the lefty bats of Raley and Canzone into the lineup while cutting into France’s playing time. France, a 2022 All-Star, slumped to a roughly league average .250/.337/.366 line last season. He’s off to an even slower start in 2024, hitting .235/.285/.359 through his first 165 plate appearances.

Raley (.297/.327/.444) and Canzone (.220/.289/.488) have made more of an offensive impact, particularly from a power perspective. The Mariners aren’t planning to utilize a strict first base platoon that’d keep France out of action against right-handed pitching entirely. To that end, he’s in tonight’s lineup against Yankees righty Marcus Stroman. Raley and Canzone are starting in the corner outfield, pushing Mitch Haniger to DH and Mitch Garver to the bench. With each of Garver, Haniger and France underperforming, Servais could trim into the playing time for any of that group to keep Raley and Canzone in the lineup.

Beyond the major league shuffling, the M’s provided an update on one of their top minor league infield talents. Colt Emerson, whom Seattle took with the 22nd pick in last year’s draft, will miss some time for Low-A Modesto. MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer tweets that Emerson recently suffered a fracture after fouling a ball off his foot and is expected to be out of action for 4-6 weeks. The 18-year-old is a consensus top 100 minor league talent. He was out to an excellent .271/.441/.414 start with more walks than strikeouts over 19 games before the injury.

MLBTR Podcast: Teoscar Signs With L.A. And The Move-Making Mariners and Rays

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Will anything stop this trend of deferred money in contracts? (23:40)
  • Will there ever be a salary floor and would that help baseball in any way? (32:20)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Mariners Trade José Caballero To Rays For Luke Raley

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The Mariners already completed one trade today, sending Robbie Ray to the Giants in exchange for Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani and cash considerations, and have now completed a second. They are sending infielder José Caballero to the Rays in exchange for outfielder Luke Raley, per announcements from both clubs.

“We’re thrilled to add Luke Raley to the middle of our lineup as a left-handed bat with positional versatility,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in that club’s press release. “Offensively, Luke brings power paired with game-changing baserunning and instincts. He’s also a solid defender across multiple positions, adding further flexibility to our lineup on a nightly basis.”

Raley, now 29, was drafted by the Dodgers and made a brief major league debut with them in 2021. He was traded to the Rays and then got some more limited MLB time in 2022. He finally got his first extended stretch of time in the big leagues last year and ran with it. He took 406 plate appearances over 118 games in 2023, striking out at a 31.5% clip but also hitting 19 home runs. His overall batting line of .249/.333/.490 translated to a wRC+ of 130, indicating he was 30% better than league average. He also stole 14 bases in 17 tries and received solid grades for his outfield defense while also spending a bit of time at first base.

Despite that strong performance, Raley was part of a crowded outfield mix that also featured Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe and José Siri in regular roles. Yandy Díaz is set to likely be the everyday first baseman, while players like Harold Ramírez, Jonathan Aranda, Jonny DeLuca and others were in the mix for playing time as well. With Raley now out of options, he needed to be kept on the active roster or else be removed from the 40-man entirely.

In Seattle, the path to playing time should be more smooth. That club let Teoscar Hernández reach free agency without making him a qualifying offer and also traded Jarred Kelenic to Atlanta. They have since added Mitch Garver to be their primary designated hitter, and take a share of the catching time from Cal Raleigh, while Haniger was acquired earlier today to join the corner outfield mix.

Julio Rodríguez is entrenched in center but Raley and Haniger could perhaps take the corner regularly, with players like Cade Marlowe, Taylor Trammell and Dominic Canzone also a part of that corner outfield picture. At first base, Ty France has been the regular in Seattle for the past three years but his production dipped in 2023. If that continues into this year, Raley gives them a fallback option for that position.

The Rays mostly shielded Raley from left-handed pitchers, with 363 of his 406 plate appearances coming with the platoon advantage last year. His high strikeout rate also doesn’t mesh with Seattle’s stated intention to cut down in that department, but the power, speed and defense make him enticing nonetheless. He’s also still at least a year away from reaching arbitration, meaning he fits well on a club with financial concerns like the Mariners. He can be controlled for another five seasons before qualifying for free agency.

Caballero, 27, made his major league debut with the Mariners last year, getting into 104 games. He hit .221/.343/.320 in his 280 plate appearances, drawing a walk in 10% of them. That production amounted to a wRC+ of 96, indicating he was just 4% below league average. But he also stole 26 bases in 29 tries and received strong grades for his defense at the two middle infield positions, as well as spending small amounts of time at third base and left field.

The ability to play shortstop likely appeals to the Rays, who have plenty of uncertainty there. Wander Franco once seemed to be firmly entrenched in that position, having signed an 11-year extension going into the 2022 season. But he is currently under investigation for allegedly having inappropriate relationships with minors and it’s unknown when, if ever, he will play a Major League Baseball game again.

Assuming Franco isn’t an option in 2024, the Rays have guys like Taylor Walls, Junior Caminero and Osleivis Basabe as potential shortstops on the roster. However, none of that trio is a lock to hold down the job this year. Walls and Basabe are broadly considered strong defenders but weaker at the plate while Caminero is generally considered the opposite. Basabe and Caminero both have less than 100 major league plate appearances.

Caballero’s first taste of MLB action was subpar, but only slightly so. He’s always hit well in the minors, perhaps leaving some room for him to continue developing with more exposure to major league pitching. He still has a full slate of options and less than a year of service time, meaning he can be a long-term part of the Rays’ roster if things click.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the framework of the deal while Jeff Passan of ESPN first relayed that it had been completed.

AL Postseason Injury Notes: Buxton, Raley, Hernández

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As expected, Byron Buxton will not be available for the Wild Card round of the 2023 MLB postseason. The Twins revealed their postseason roster on Tuesday morning, and the All-Star outfielder/DH was a notable omission. Buxton has not played in a major league game since August 1, although he attempted a couple of brief rehab stints at Triple-A in August and September. The former Gold Glover is dealing with a strained hamstring in addition to ongoing trouble with his right knee.

Reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) noticed Buxton wasn’t on the field yesterday for a team workout, which was a strong indication he wouldn’t be ready to play on Tuesday. Presumably, he will continue to prepare in hopes he can rejoin the team later in October, should the Twins advance.

In happier news, both Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa were named to the postseason roster. Neither had played since mid-September. Correa confirmed on Monday he would be ready to go for the Wild Card round, but Lewis was less optimistic. Thankfully for Minnesota, the two-time All-Star and the rookie sensation have both been cleared to play. The Twins could use all hands on deck as they look to break their 18-game postseason losing streak.

In other injury news from the AL postseason field…

  • In unfortunate but not entirely surprising news, Luke Raley has been left off the Rays’ roster for the first round of the playoffs. The breakout slugger for Tampa Bay hasn’t played since September 20 after suffering a cervical strain a few days prior. The team could surely use his lefty bat against the Rangers, but with limited space on the postseason roster, the Rays weren’t going to rush him back until he could contribute on a daily basis (according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). In better news for Tampa Bay, Jose Siri will be available for the Wild Card round. The power-hitting center fielder hasn’t played since he fractured his hand on September 11.
  • Right-handed reliever Jonathan Hernández has been left off the Rangers’ roster for the Wild Card round as he nurses a shoulder injury. In 33 games this year, he pitched to a 5.40 ERA and a 4.11 SIERA in 31 2/3 innings. However, he looked much better in September following an optional assignment to Triple-A, posting a 2.89 ERA and a 2.67 SIERA in eight appearances. In other Rangers news, Ezequiel Duran has also been left off the roster, although not for injury-related reasons. The young utility player started the season off strong but struggled down the stretch, slashing .206/.229/.265 over the final month of the year.

AL East Notes: Judge, Yankees, Rays, Siri, Raley, Cora

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Aaron Judge spoke with MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters about what the Yankees should do differently in 2024, including “some bigger picture ideas and philosophies that I think maybe need to change.”  The communication of analytical information seems to be one of Judge’s sticking points, since the slugger has no issue with the use of analytics themselves.  “The Yankees are top-notch in the numbers we get.  I think we’re the best in the game at that,” Judge said.  “I think it’s about funneling those down to the players in the right format….I think it’s just looking at the right numbers.  I think maybe we might be looking at the wrong ones.  We need to value some other ones that people might see as having no value.”

The reigning AL MVP also put some pressure on the clubhouse, saying “I think a level of urgency and an understanding [is needed that] just because you get to the big leagues and you get to New York, you’ve still got to improve.  You’ve still got to make adjustments.”  Judge gave a full endorsement of Aaron Boone as the club’s manager, though as Hoch put it, “Judge was less effusive” in speaking about GM Brian Cashman in comparison to his praise of Boone.

More from the AL East…

  • Jose Siri and Luke Raley are expected to participate in a live batting practice on Monday, Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).  Siri hasn’t played since September 11 after his right hand was fractured by a pitch, and Raley has been on the 10-day injured list since September 21 due to a cervical strain suffered a few days prior.  Tomorrow’s BP session should indicate whether or not either player might factor into the Rays’ roster for their Wild Card Series matchup with Texas.  If neither can play, Topkin speculates that the Rays might add both of Junior Caminero and Osleivis Basabe, and possibly Francisco Mejia as a third catcher.
  • Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated two weeks ago that he didn’t have interest in moving into the front office, possibly as the team’s new head of baseball operations.  Cora reiterated this stance more directly today with reporters (including WEEI’s Rob Bradford), and said “I was very honest with the front office…and said, I’m not ready to do that.  I’m not ready.  If I felt that I think I can do that job I would probably tell them hey, I would like to be part of the process — or not the process of but one of the candidates.  But I’m not ready for that.”  However, Cora did say that he’ll have some level of influence in the eventual decision to find Chaim Bloom’s replacement.

Rays Place Luke Raley On Injured List, Designate Trevor Kelley For Assignment

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The Rays announced Friday that they’ve placed slugger Luke Raley on the 10-day injured list with a cervical strain and designated right-handed reliever Trevor Kelley for assignment. That pair of moves paves the way for top prospect Junior Caminero to be formally selected to the 40-man roster and called up for his Major League debut — a move first reported to be in the works last night. Caminero’s call to the big leagues is now official, and he should make his debut tonight.

Raley, 29, has just one plate appearance since Sept. 15 due to ongoing discomfort stemming from this injury. His placement on the IL is retroactive to Sept. 21, so he’ll be eligible to return on the final day of the regular season. The hope is surely that the additional downtime will allow him to heal up for the postseason.

A former Dodgers and Twins farmhand, Raley has had a late-blooming breakout during his age-29 campaign with the Rays. In 118 games and 406 plate appearances, the lefty-swinging outfielder/first baseman touts a .249/.333/.490 batting line with 19 home runs, 23 doubles, three triples and 14 steals. His 6.9% walk rate is below the league average, and his 31.4% strikeout rate is about eight percentage points above it. Raley has also been largely shielded from left-handed pitching, though he’s held his own in the 43 plate appearances he’s received.

Limited as the skill set may be, there’s no denying that Raley has been a huge contributor for Tampa Bay this season. A Rays club that entered the year looking quite right-handed was in need of just such a breakout, and he’s provided a sorely needed left-handed bat who’s emerged as a potent threat against opposing righties. In 363 plate appearances with the platoon advantage, Raley has turned in a .247/.337/.497 batting line with 17 of his 19 longballs. He’ll finish out the year with one-plus season of big league service under his belt, so the Rays can control him for another five years via arbitration if they choose — and he won’t even be arb-eligible until after the 2025 campaign.

Kelley, 31 next month, signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay over the winter but was added to the 40-man roster as soon as the Rays were eligible to create roster space via a 60-day IL placement for an injured player. He’s appeared in 10 games and pitched 15 1/3 innings this season but struggled to a 5.87 earned run average in that small sample. Kelley has pitched in the Majors in each of the past four seasons now, also spending time with the Red Sox, Brewers and Phillies. In 50 2/3 big league innings, he’s recorded a 6.75 ERA with a 19.1% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate.

Although his 2023 struggles extend to Triple-A — 5.23 ERA in 32 2/3 frames — Kelley entered the year with an outstanding track record at the top minor league level. From 2019-22, he turned in a 1.81 ERA, 25.7% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate in 164 1/3 innings at the level. Even with this year’s shaky results in Durham, Kelley carries a lifetime 2.38 ERA in 197 innings of Triple-A work.

The Rays will have no recourse but to either place Kelley on outright waivers or unconditional release waivers. He’ll be out of minor league options in 2024, but a team in need of some controllable bullpen depth could place a claim if they’re willing to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Rays Notes: McClanahan, Raley, Franco

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Rays starter Shane McClanahan departed today’s outing in the fourth inning after a visit from the trainer. The club later announced he’d been dealing with mid-back tightness.

It’s unclear whether the Rays anticipate McClanahan missing time. Postgame, he conceded he was “frustrated” to have to leave the game early but expressed hope it wouldn’t be a serious issue (video provided by Bally Sports Sun). Manager Kevin Cash told reporters the southpaw had experienced some minor back discomfort before his previous start as well (relayed by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).

McClanahan is the only Tampa Bay starter to have taken all 16 turns through the rotation. Last season’s sixth-place Cy Young finisher has continued to excel. He owns a 2.23 ERA across 93 innings. His 26.7% strikeout rate is down a bit relative to last year’s 30.3% clip, but it’s still well above league average. The Rays are already without Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen and Josh Fleming and had to navigate the first couple months sans Tyler Glasnow. McClanahan, Glasnow, rookie Taj Bradley and offseason pickup Zach Eflin make for an excellent top four, but the Springs and Rasmussen injuries have put some pressure on the depth arms.

Corner outfielder Luke Raley also finished today’s game with some health concern. He was hit on the right hand by a José Cuas pitch in the first inning. While Raley played the remainder of the contest, Topkin tweets that his hand remained sore postgame. Initial x-rays came back negative but he’ll head for further imaging tonight. Raley has somewhat quietly been one of the game’s best hitters this year, mashing at a .276/.354/.582 clip over 193 plate appearances.

Whether he’ll require a stint on the injured list is to be determined. There’d seem a decent chance he’ll at least be out of tomorrow night’s lineup. If that’s the case, he’d be joined in sitting out the contest by Wander Franco. Tampa Bay penciled in Taylor Walls at shortstop tonight, and Cash announced pregame that Franco would be on the bench for Friday’s contest as well.

It’s not an injury concern in his case. It’s instead a disciplinary decision. Cash told reporters the organization was benching Franco for at least two games after taking issue with some of his clubhouse behavior. As Topkin writes, it isn’t believed to be related to one specific incident but rather a culmination of a few events throughout the season. Topkin notes that Franco has been involved in some verbal spats with teammates over the course of the year and has had some instances of slamming equipment in the dugout after making outs.

To be clear, there’s nothing to suggest the Rays’ overall relationship with Franco has been affected. Cash was quick to call the 22-year-old star “a really good kid, really good person” while conceding that the infielder “is learning and dealing with the challenges of being a major league player and some of the frustrations that come with it.” Both Cash and president of baseball operations Erik Neander expressed support for Franco overall but indicated they felt it appropriate to sit him down for a few days to reinforce the need to be a good teammate.

Franco is arguably the face of the franchise and already one of the sport’s brightest young stars. He’s off to a .287/.349/.455 start to the season and has elite defensive marks. Recipient of the largest extension in franchise history, he’s under contract through the 2032 campaign and remains as important to the organization as any player on the roster.

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