HOUSTON -- The Rays made the surprising, difficult decision to option rookie speedster Chandler Simpson to Triple-A Durham on Friday morning as they reinstated outfielder Jake Mangum from the 10-day injured list.
Promoted earlier than expected last month due to a series of injuries in the outfield, Simpson, the Rays' No. 7 prospect, made an immediate impact with the Rays and altered the dynamic of Tampa Bay’s lineup with his game-changing speed.
There were plenty of questions about how his unique offensive skill-set -- elite speed, no power -- would play in the Majors. With every infield single and stolen base, he provided answers. The 24-year-old outfielder slashed .285/.315/.317 with a team-leading 19 steals -- third most in the Majors -- in 35 games.
Rays manager Kevin Cash delivered the news to Simpson on Friday morning, before Tampa Bay's 2-1 loss to the Astros on Friday night at Daikin Park, and president of baseball operations Erik Neander made a follow-up call to the rookie.
“They're all tough decisions,” Cash said. “Certainly this one was right at the top of the list.
“He was a pro. The way he carried himself the entire time he was down here was really, really appreciated and impressive, so no different from our conversation today.”
So, why did they send him down?
It starts with Mangum’s return from the injured list.
Mangum was summoned to the Majors for the first time on March 29 and thrived in his long-awaited MLB debut. Also featuring a skill set based around contact hitting and speed, the 29-year-old switch-hitter slashed .338/.384/.397 with four doubles, seven RBIs and eight steals in 21 games before going down with a left groin strain and landing on the IL on April 24.
Mangum showed he was ready to return during a rehab assignment with Durham, going 8-for-18 with four walks and three strikeouts in five games. He started three games in center, one in left and one in right.
“Injuries stink. Don't wish that on anybody anywhere, but crushed rehab, did my best and feel healthy. Rehab stint went well,” Mangum said Friday afternoon before starting in center field against the Astros at Daikin Park. “It was good to hit with some old familiar faces in Durham. Enjoyed it and happy to be back with the team.”
Between what he’s accomplished over the years in Triple-A, what he did at the start of the season and how he looked on his rehab assignment, Mangum earned his spot on Tampa Bay’s roster.
But Mangum’s return left the Rays with an overcrowded outfield. Josh Lowe is going to play regularly in right field. Jonny DeLuca’s timeline to return from a right shoulder strain is unclear after another setback, leaving Kameron Misner as their best option in center field.
Misner has cooled at the plate since his outstanding start to the season, but his defense has been excellent. According to Statcast, he has totaled five outs above average -- tied for the fifth-most among all Major League outfielders this season.
That left only one remaining spot: left field. And the Rays chose Mangum, seemingly preferring his more balanced contributions to Simpson’s electrifying, highlight-making speed.
Mangum is likely to start in left field against right-handed pitchers and could back up Misner in center, especially against lefties. With those outfielders in place, Simpson would have become a bench player and occasional starter had he remained in the big leagues.
That’s a role currently being held by Christopher Morel, who has mostly been relegated to corner-outfield starts against left-handed pitchers. Morel is out of Minor League options, so they would have had to cut ties with him just to keep Simpson in a part-time role.
Sending him back to Triple-A, the Rays plan to have Simpson play every day so he can continue his development in the outfield (where he totaled -3 OAA) and further refine his offensive game.
“There's probably some specifics that we talked about -- defense, seeing more balls, his route efficiency. Certainly at the plate, we really like his approach,” Cash said. “He's a guy that has shown the ability to probably walk more than strike out; [he can] get that back.
“I think him getting down there and getting some regularity to his playing time down there is only going to help him.”
If there’s another injury, or one of their outfielders plays his way out of a job, Simpson could find himself right back in the mix.
Coaches and teammates often raved about the subtle effects of Simpson’s speed, like how it altered pitchers’ timing and rushed infielders’ actions, but the obvious impact was on display in the Rays’ 13-3 win over the Astros on Thursday night at Daikin Park. Simpson created a run on his own without putting a ball in play by working a leadoff walk, stealing two bases and scoring on a throwing error.
Seeing that only made a challenging decision that much more difficult.
“It’s a tough game. Chandler is a fantastic baseball player. He's going to be a big leaguer again, there’s no doubting that,” Mangum said. “He did such a great job coming up here and doing so many things to help us win ballgames. It's a good problem to have.”
Senior Reporter Adam Berry covers the Rays for MLB.com and covered the Pirates from 2015-21.