Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Griffin Jax during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
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If this seems like a Tampa Bay Rays’ type of thing to do, well, whatever it takes to win the next game on their schedule. Beginning August 2, the day prior to the trade deadline, and through the past week, manager Kevin Cash may have needed to double and triple check his inventory of available players. After all, the transactions were humming along at a rapid pace. Consider that the Rays:
* Acquired four players via trade.
* Traded one player from the active roster and dealt a bushel of prospects.
* Optioned three players to the minors.
* Designated three players for assignment.
* Sent two players to the injured list.
* Recalled two players from Triple-A Durham and another had his contract selected from Double-A Montgomery. Two of the three players were among those optioned with one of them (pitcher Michael Grove) recalled for a second time during the week.
Through it all, the team won its first six games of a nine-game trip by sweeping Seattle and Colorado to increase its lead in the American League East to a season-high 5.5 games over the Yankees through Sunday’s action.
Suddenly, injuries hit rotation
With Shane McClanahan having been placed on the 15-day IL on July 31 with back tightness and Griffin Jax, who was scratched from Saturday evening’s start in Seattle with elbow discomfort and also landed on the 15-day IL, the hope is that their absences are short term. McClanahan had a promising day Thursday when he threw a couple of innings of a simulated game at the Rays’ complex in Port Charlotte. He felt good and has another sim game scheduled.
Though the Rays were in the market for a starting pitcher, the deal with the Mets for righthander Freddy Peralta now looks like one of necessity especially if McClanahan, who has missed two starts and is innings restricted after being idle the past two seasons due to injury, and/or Jax are absent for an extended period. Speaking of Peralta, who could not get out of the fourth inning and yielded seven runs in his first Tampa Bay start August 4 at Colorado, a return to something resembling his 2025 form (17-6, 2.70 ERA) would be welcome.
As it is, the rotation consists of righthanded all-stars Nick Martinez and Drew Rasmussen, Peralta and lefty Ian Seymour. The Rays could go with an opener and bulk-inning reliever or simply a bullpen day as they did Saturday when Jax was scratched. They could also go shopping. (Zack Littell, who pitched so well for the club for all or part of three seasons, is available after the Nationals sent him packing. You never know.)
A couple of other things to keep in mind in addition to McClanahan being monitored when he returns, is that Nick Martinez is 36 innings shy of his career high (166) of last season with Cincinnati. Drew Rasmussen, who missed most of 2023, much of 2024 and was capped at 150 innings in 2025, is also 36 innings shy of his career high, which was last season.
Steven Matz, who saved Sunday’s win in Seattle for Seymour, is an in-house option to start. The veteran lefty, though, has struggled this season (5-4, 5.55) after scuffling as a starter. He has also had a pair of stints on the IL due to elbow inflammation and an ankle sprain.
Injury-bug bites infield
The injuries have not been limited to the pitching staff as they hit infielders Ben Williamson and Taylor Walls, though the latter temporarily. Williamson was placed on the 10-day IL (hamstring) before the series against his former team began, and Walls was scratched (back tightness) from Saturday’s starting lineup, though he came on for defensive purposes in the late innings and played Sunday.
It appears as though Williamson will not return at any point soon. The 25-year-old, who was acquired from the Mariners in the offseason as part of a three-team deal that also included the Cardinals, played exclusively at third with the M’s last season as a rookie. He has been superb at second (43 starts) and short (20) for the Rays while not bringing much to table offensively, at least in hitting .247 with a .641 OPS. However, he is adept of moving runners along and is 8-of-9 in stolen bases.
Third time the charm for Carson Williams?
Carson Williams, who was in the Opening Day lineup, was recalled from Durham to take Williamson’s spot. Second base can be covered by lefty-hitting Richie Palacios and the righthanded Ryan Vilade, who has primarily played right field while also spelling Jonathan Aranda at first and, most recently for the first time in his career, playing at second. Williams could see time at the position as well.
SEATTLE: Carson Williams of the Tampa Bay Rays throws out a runner during the third inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 8, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images)
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This is Williams’ third stint with the parent club this season. A shortstop throughout his minor league career and in 32 games during his debut with Tampa Bay last season, Cash penciled Williams into the lineup at second base twice earlier this year. That could be a sign of things to come as the Rays’ first-round selection (28th overall) in the 2021 draft was playing some second base at Triple-A Durham.
Hitting has been another matter for Williams, who turned 23 in June. He batted .172 (17-for-99) with the Rays last season after he was recalled in August to fill in for the injured Walls. He batted .100 (3-for-30) in his first two stints this year, and at the time of his recall was hitting .226 with 11 homers and an alarming 118 strikeouts in 314 at-bats with Durham. Regardless, with seven weeks to play in the regular season, this would seem to be quite an opportunity for Williams.
“The swing definitely needs a little bit of work, and that’s what I’ve been (working on),” he told reporters before Saturday’s game in Seattle. “I definitely still have the ability to put the ball out of the ballpark and make a difference at the plate for this team when I get my opportunities. But I also really want to help out on defense and whatever job they need to fill while I’m up here.”
