PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- There were four lines of Chandler Simpson’s handwriting on the underbrim of his cap, words meant to remind himself of the biggest lesson he learned while working with former Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier early on in Spring Training. “Every pitch. Every play. Every moment. Be

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Since the Rays’ new ownership group assumed control of the club, CEO Ken Babby has often said Tropicana Field will look better than ever when the team reopens the ballpark on April 6. Some areas are sure to be new and improved, as the Rays on

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry's Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- With his work on the mound and his mentorship in the clubhouse, Steven Matz has already made a positive first impression with the Rays in Spring Training. That continued on Thursday afternoon, when the veteran left-hander pitched two scoreless innings in the Rays’ 7-5 loss to

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Rays have earned their reputation for deploying pitchers as creatively and thoughtfully as any team in the Majors, but they were consistently traditional in one way the past three years. If there was a save situation in the ninth inning, and Pete Fairbanks was healthy,

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Jacob Melton had two very different experiences with balls soaring through the sky on a windy Sunday afternoon at LECOM Park. In the first inning of the Rays’ 7-4 loss to the Pirates, Melton took a step back and moved to his right when former Ray Brandon

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Sitting down with Pirates manager Don Kelly at the beginning of his first Spring Training with his new team, Brandon Lowe made just one scheduling request. When the Pirates visit the Rays at Charlotte Sports Park on March 15, Lowe wants to be in Pittsburgh’s lineup. More

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The Rays received relatively good news about injured reliever Edwin Uceta on Friday, but there is still a chance he’s not ready for Opening Day. Uceta received a cortisone injection in his “cranky” right shoulder after visiting Dr. Koco Eaton on Friday. He will rest for

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The last time Shane McClanahan stared down the mound and saw a hitter standing in the batter’s box, he still didn’t have full feeling in his left hand. “I didn't even really count that,” he said. “I couldn't feel my thumb.”

Bill Mazeroski stood outside on a surprisingly chilly mid-February day a few years ago in Bradenton, Fla., making his annual Spring Training visit to see his former team at the Pirate City training complex. He could still repeat the quick, fluid movements that made him such a renowned defensive second

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- It’s not anything like starting Opening Day, but Rays prospect T.J. Nichols was grateful and appreciative when he learned he would take the mound to start this year’s Spring Training opener for Tampa Bay. His parents were even more thrilled. In his first Major League Spring

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- This time last year, there were questions about whether Drew Rasmussen could be a starter. The right-hander was coming back from his third major elbow surgery, and the Rays eased him back into action as a multi-inning reliever down the stretch in 2024. How would he

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: The American League East is loaded this year. The Blue Jays had a huge offseason after falling just short in Game 7 of the World Series. The Yankees are running it back, for better or worse, with a team that won 94

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- There has been a fair amount of helmet-tapping on the back fields of Charlotte Sports Park the past few days. As those across MLB prepare for the introduction of the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System this season, the Rays have encouraged their hitters and catchers to

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- It takes a lot to stand out in a batting practice group with Junior Caminero. Jacob Melton did just that Tuesday morning on Field 2 at Charlotte Sports Park. The 25-year-old outfielder crushed balls all over the back field, an impressive display of power during Tampa

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Junior Caminero stood in front of his locker at Charlotte Sports Park on Tuesday morning, preparing to address the media before the Rays’ first full-squad workout. Team interpreter Kevin Vera took his place at Caminero’s side, preparing to translate for the Dominican All-Star. About 12 minutes

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- As the Rays made their way onto Field 5 at Charlotte Sports Park for defensive drills on Monday morning, Gavin Lux took his place at second base. And, in a welcome change, only second base.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Hunter Bigge jogged in from the Rays' bullpen at Charlotte Sports Park late Sunday morning, scaled the mound and challenged hitters with what fellow reliever Garrett Cleavinger called “electric” stuff. His fastball was firm. His breaking pitches darted all over. He tested out his newest weapon,

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- High-leverage reliever Edwin Uceta will not pitch for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to a sore throwing shoulder, but the Rays still expect the right-hander to be ready for Opening Day. Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday that Uceta has been

ST. PETERSBURG -- Inside, Tropicana Field is starting to look a lot more like the home of the Rays. It felt that way outside, too, on Saturday afternoon.

ST. PETERSBURG -- Brett Phillips has a new uniform with the Rays. The fan-favorite outfielder, who grew up rooting for the team before playing a big part in one of the franchise’s most memorable moments, the walk-off win in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series, has rejoined the organization

Long before teams relied so heavily on deep, dominant bullpens filled with skilled specialists and fire-breathing, flame-throwing closers, there was Elroy Face. Nicknamed “The Baron of the Bullpen,” Face was a pioneering late-inning reliever for the Pirates during a time just before the save became an official statistic. The three-time

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Last summer, Xavier Isaac's concerns were bigger than baseball. As the Rays’ first-base prospect shared in an Instagram post in November, he had “life-saving” brain surgery in July. What he thought was dehydration turned out to be the result of a brain tumor that led to,