Simpson 'day to day' after experiencing cramping in left leg

TORONTO -- Speedster Chandler Simpson wasn’t in the Rays lineup on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre, but he had good news to share about the left leg cramping that forced him to exit Monday’s 8-5 win over the Blue Jays after an eighth-inning groundout.

Simpson said he was “feeling good,” with no lingering tightness or soreness in his left hamstring, after dealing with cramps Monday night. He said he felt his hamstring “kind of grabbing” when he came out of the batter’s box, and he knew it was a cramp based on his experience with a similar issue.

Simpson fielded fly balls in left field during Tampa Bay’s pregame batting practice. While the Rays were hoping to avoid using him, he didn’t rule out the idea that he could play if needed Tuesday night. He described his status as “day to day.”

Simpson might not have started Tuesday’s game, anyway, as the Blue Jays started left-hander Patrick Corbin. Yandy Díaz slotted into the leadoff spot, and Ryan Vilade got the start in left field.

“It’s probably about time to give him a day off, but very happy that it was cramps,” manager Kevin Cash said. “Good news for us, because we know how valuable and how important he's been to our club.”

The Rays tested Simpson’s leg strength after Monday’s game, and everything came back normal. He said the key to bouncing back from previous cramps has been hydration and staying on top of his work in the trainer’s room, and he wasn’t worried about it becoming a long-term concern.

Could it just be the byproduct of how much he uses his legs on the field?

“I ran a lot yesterday, so maybe,” Simpson said, grinning. “But I want to run every day like that and be fine.”

Indeed, Simpson was running all over the place in Monday’s win. He manufactured a run on his own in the fourth inning by reaching on an infield single, advancing to second on a disengagement violation by Kevin Gausman, then stealing third and dashing home on an errant throw.

How would he best describe that sequence?

“I’ve seen a lot of solo home runs,” Simpson said, “and I feel like that’s my version of a solo home run.”

In other injury news, Cash announced Tuesday that second baseman Gavin Lux will be shut down “for the foreseeable future” due to a left shoulder injury. Lux has not played for the Rays this season, as he was initially sidelined by a right shoulder issue then suffered a sprained ankle during his initial rehab assignment.

Lux was nearing the end of his second rehab stint, but instead he will report back to the Tampa Bay area to undergo further imaging and testing.