Junior Caminero’s Home Run Derby commitment gave him something to smile about, and he backed it up the same day. The Rays third baseman went deep for the fifth game in a row, and that blast pushed him into a tie for third on the American League home run leaderboard with Ben Rice.
Tuesday also got messy in Boston, where the Red Sox and Nationals wound up emptying the benches after Willson Contreras and Cade Cavalli started jawing at each other in the fourth inning. Contreras, Nate Eaton, and Miles Mikolas were all ejected from the game, and Red Sox manager Chad Tracy was sent out as well after arguing that Cavalli should be removed.
Cavalli stayed in and made the most of it, finishing with seven strong innings and 13 strikeouts. It marked the second straight day Contreras was tossed; he was ejected Monday after a run-in with first base umpire Nic Lentz over a check swing call.
Dave Roberts hit a milestone of his own, becoming the fastest manager in major league history to reach 1,000 wins. Roberts got there in 1,606 games, topping the previous mark of 1,641 set by Cap Anson.
The Dodgers manager reached the number one day after A.J. Hinch did the same, and he’s now got three World Series titles in 11 seasons in Los Angeles.
“ He’s a special person,” Mookie Betts said. “ He is my manager, but I just don’t really see him that way.
I see him more as like a baseball dad, to be honest.”
Carter Jensen kept his own surge rolling for Kansas City. The Royals catcher opened Tuesday’s game against the Rays with a solo shot off Griffin Jax, stretching his hitting streak to 20 games.
Jensen hit .290 with five home runs in June and finished the month with an .860 OPS. Kansas City moved him back to the leadoff spot at the end of May, and the difference has been obvious: after hitting just .198/.272/.309 that month, he has an .853 OPS in 92 at-bats at the top of the order.
In Other News...
Former Cub Christopher Morel Gets Another Shot After Tumultuous Exit
Christopher Morel is getting another chance to reset his career path after a rough stretch that included stops with the Cubs and Rays, two organizations that saw both his raw power and his inconsistency. The 27-year-old outfielder and infielder has now landed a minor-league opportunity as he looks to work his way back into big-league consideration, a familiar kind of move for a player whose talent has long kept him on the radar even when the results have not always matched.
The arrangement gives him some flexibility, too, with opt-outs built in if the path to the majors does not open quickly enough. For the Mets, it is a low-risk way to add depth while they sort through their roster ahead of the trade deadline, and for Morel it is another chance to force his way into a picture that could include several different spots if he hits enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Finally Have The Kind Of Injury Update Fans Needed
Yandy Daz was back in the Rays starting lineup, a welcome sight for a club that has spent plenty of time juggling its health. Daz had been working through a left shoulder strain, and getting him back on the field at all is a useful step for Tampa Bay, which has been trying to stabilize its everyday mix while key pieces work their way back.
Manuel Rodrguez also moved a step closer to a return by resuming live batting practice as he comes back from forearm and elbow surgery, with an expected timeline after the All-Star break. Elsewhere on the rehab front, Jake Fraley and Gavin Lux began assignments with Triple-A Durham, giving the Rays a little more movement on the injury front than theyve had in a while, even if the final stretch of each recovery still matters. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rays Reliever Makes Tough Admission About How His Career Ended
Ryan Sherriffs path through pro baseball took him from a long run in the majors with the Cardinals, Rays and Red Sox to the Mexican League and the Dominican Winter League, a late-career stretch that underscored just how far he was willing to keep going. For Tampa Bay fans, hes best remembered as part of the Rays 2020 World Series bullpen, when he gave them important left-handed innings on the biggest stage.
Sherriff recently opened up about how the end came into focus after years of trying to stay in the game. He also reflected on a spring training moment with Boston in 2023 when the organization sent him to minor league camp, a conversation that marked another difficult turn in a career that had already asked plenty of him. [Read more 🡒]