The Rays are heading into September with the kind of cushion every contender wants, and roster expansion could give them a few more useful pieces for the final push.
Tampa Bay enters play on Aug. 30 at 81-54, the best record in the American League, and sits 4.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East. With the calendar about to flip, the club will be able to move from a 26-man roster to 28 players on the first of the month.
That opens the door for a handful of additions, and Mason Englert looks like a strong fit if the Rays want another arm. He has bounced between Triple-A Durham and the big league club throughout the year, but the results have been solid.
At Durham, he’s still been stretched out like a starter, and his last two outings have been especially sharp. In his most recent start, he worked six shutout innings, struck out nine and allowed just one hit and one walk.
Before that, he went six innings again and gave up only a solo homer.
That kind of stretch makes him a real candidate for a call-up, especially if Tampa Bay wants someone who can cover multiple innings.
On the position-player side, Victor Mesa Jr. is the most natural name to watch. He’s on the injured list with a nagging hamstring issue, but he has been appearing in Triple-A games. If he’s ready when the roster expands, he’d make sense as a September addition.
If Mesa Jr. isn’t ready, and the Rays still want another outfielder with major league experience, Jack Suwinski could be the alternative even though his numbers since the deadline have been underwhelming.
Jacob Melton is another name fans would like to see get the call, but he still needs regular at-bats, and that sort of role doesn’t appear to be available in the majors right now. A left-handed hitting outfielder is the type of player Tampa Bay could still be looking to add, though.
There’s also a strong case for Ty Johnson, even if nothing official has been announced. At Triple-A, the Rays’ decisions suggest he may be trending toward a September promotion.
He moved into a full-time relief role when August began, which could be a sign that the organization is preparing him for bullpen work in the majors over the final stretch. After a rough first outing in relief, he has settled in well.
Johnson spent the full season as a starter before the switch, and that background could make him especially useful as a bulk-inning option. For a Rays staff leaning on pitchers such as Shane McClanahan, Ian Seymour and Griffin Jax more than they have in years, that kind of arm could help soak up innings and take some pressure off the group.
In Other News...
Rays Face A September Call That Could Spark Their Playoff Push
September always brings a little roster-watching intrigue, and this year is no different for the Rays as the calendar flips and Major League Baseball expands active rosters from 26 to 28 players. Tampa Bay has some decisions to make about how to use those extra spots, and Theo Gillen has at least entered the conversation after a strong run in the minors. The No. 2 prospect has helped create a buzz inside the organization, even if he has not yet reached Triple-A or landed on the 40-man roster.
For now, though, the more likely path looks more conventional. The Rays are expected to lean toward recalling infielder Carson Williams and adding a pitcher from the minors, a move that would give the club immediate depth without rushing Gillen into the spotlight. Still, the fact that his name is even part of the September discussion says plenty about where the organization stands, and it leaves open a longer-term question about when his progress will force the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Farm System Has A New Name Fans Need To Watch
The Rays farm system has taken on a different look lately, and Theo Gillen is now the name sitting at the top of the board in FanGraphs latest rankings. Hes joined near the top by Caden Bodine, while Aidan Cremarosa still holds the distinction of being the systems top pitcher even after a stint on the Injured List. Its the kind of refresh that matters in Tampa Bay, where the pipeline is always part of the bigger conversation.
There has also been some roster churn around the edges, with the club releasing Austin Slater and adding Jared Oliva on a minor league deal. Meanwhile, the Triple-A level has continued to offer plenty to follow, with Xavier Isaac and Bodine among the players making noise there. For a Rays organization that leans heavily on depth and development, the next wave is starting to sort itself out, even if the picture is still shifting. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Have A September Edge Other Contenders May Not Match
The Rays have spent much of this season reminding the rest of the league that depth can travel, and their sweep of the Padres at Tropicana Field only added to that case. Tampa Bay moved to 28 games over .500 in the process, staying atop the AL East and reinforcing the idea that this is a club built to survive the long grind of a pennant race, not just one big name carrying the load. Junior Caminero gives the lineup a visible spark, but the bigger story has been the way the roster keeps finding enough answers across the board.
With September now setting the tone, the next layer for Tampa Bay is how it manages the stretch run without losing that edge. The Rays have the look of a balanced contender, and they may also be ready to tap into more organizational depth as the postseason approaches, with right-handed pitcher Ty Johnson among the prospects in line for consideration. For a team already positioned well in the division, the intrigue is whether those extra arms and late-season options can make an already sturdy club even harder to match. [Read more 🡒]