Daily Dinger is rolling into Wednesday, Sept. 9, with a slate built around power, and Junior Caminero sits near the center of it.
The Rays third baseman is up to 39 home runs on the season, with 31 of those coming against right-handed pitching. That split matters here, because Tampa Bay is lined up against Atlanta right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, a pitcher who has already allowed 10 homers in just over 71 innings this season. Lopez has worked both as a starter and a reliever, and he’s set to make his first appearance since July after giving up four home runs in five starts.
Caminero has been on a tear of his own. Over the last two weeks, he has gone deep four times in 12 games while batting .319 with a .996 OPS. The price is not exactly friendly at +270, but he still stands out as one of the stronger home run options on a 15-game card.
The American League gets most of the attention in this edition, and another AL bat worth a look is Riley Greene. The Tigers outfielder has 19 home runs this season and has come back from the injured list swinging hard.
In seven games since returning, Greene is hitting .333 with three homers, 10 RBIs and seven extra-base hits. For the season, the three-time All-Star is at .277 with an .836 OPS.
Greene has done the bulk of his damage against righties, with 14 homers and an .855 OPS in those matchups, and Wednesday brings him Zebby Matthews. The Twins right-hander has already surrendered 22 home runs in 20 appearances, including a three-homer outing in his last start, and he carries a 4.69 ERA into the series finale. That setup makes Greene a live threat to add to the damage.
Cody Bellinger is another Yankees bat to keep on the radar against a pitcher who has been giving up loud contact all year. Colorado right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano has allowed 27 home runs in 25 appearances and owns a 5.19 ERA after leading the American League in homers allowed in 2025 with Baltimore.
Bellinger has not taken Sugano deep yet, but he has handled him well, going 3-for-6 with a 1.071 OPS in their meetings. Since coming off the injured list, Bellinger has hit .290 with one homer in 15 games, including 14 starts. At nearly 5/1, he’s the kind of long-shot play that fits a Yankee Stadium matchup with the short porch in play.
For a bigger payout, Mickey Gasper deserves a look in the Red Sox-Angels game. Gasper has been especially dangerous against right-handed pitching this season, batting .297 with eight home runs and a .964 OPS. He has homered eight times in 53 games, including 44 starts, and all eight blasts have come over a 19-game stretch in the last four weeks, when he posted a 1.379 OPS.
He is expected to be in the lineup against Ryan Johnson, who has allowed 16 home runs in 18 appearances and comes in with a 5.17 ERA. At +540, Gasper is the type of long shot that can pay off in a hurry.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
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What makes the reaction even more pointed is Kmatzs performance in Double-A, where he has backed up the prospect buzz with strong results and remained one of the more intriguing arms in the organization. With his pitch grades and standing inside the Dodgers system drawing attention, Rays fans are left weighing whether the front office was betting on the right side of the talent curve or simply getting ahead of a move that may take time to evaluate. [Read more 🡒]
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Freddy Peraltas recent stretch has made that task a little easier. Acquired from the Mets, he has taken a clear step forward on the mound, with strong performances in his last three starts helping settle things down for a club that badly needs dependable innings right now. The question for the Rays is how much more pressure Peralta can absorb while the rest of the rotation tries to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A Growing October Bullpen Trust Problem
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Ty Johnsons big-league debut offered at least a small lift, with the rookie getting through a scoreless inning and giving Tampa Bay another arm to consider as the postseason nears. The Rays have built plenty of October success around matchup-driven bullpen management, but the late-season picture suggests they may still be searching for trustworthy answers in a unit that needs them most. [Read more 🡒]