The Tampa Bay Rays used Sept. 1 roster expansion to bring back one familiar bat and give another right-handed arm a shot for the final stretch of the regular season.
Outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. is returning from the 10-day injured list after working his way back from a left hamstring strain that surfaced in mid-August. Mesa first felt the issue after appearing as a pinch hitter on Aug. 15, following a start in right field on Aug.
- He didn’t get back into the lineup until Aug. 18, and after only a few innings that day, he was pulled and later placed on the IL.
Now past his eligibility date, he’s back with the big-league club after about two weeks and is considered healthy again. He played in five straight games before the injury move, splitting time between outfield starts and designated hitter duties, and said he came away feeling good.
Mesa is expected to slide back into the left-handed side of the Rays’ right field platoon. He has handled that role well after stepping into a spot that was originally meant for Jake Fraley, who has been dealing with injuries of his own.
The other addition is right-hander Alex Cook, who has spent nearly all of the 2026 season with Triple-A Durham. Cook made his MLB debut on July 31 and has appeared twice for Tampa Bay this year, logging 3.2 innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits and two walks, and striking out three. At Durham, he has been busy, working in 37 games with six starts, and posting 42.2 innings with 46 strikeouts and 15 walks.
Cook’s call-up is likely to catch some fans off guard, especially with some hoping the Rays would use one of those expanded roster spots on a higher-profile pitching prospect such as Ty Johnson. Johnson has been shifting from the rotation to the bullpen in August and has settled in well after a rough first outing. Brody Hopkins has been making that same kind of transition from starter to reliever over the last few weeks.
For now, though, the Rays are using their extra room on Mesa and Cook, with another move still possible later if the need for a fresh arm pops up.
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