ST. PETERSBURG -- Designated hitter Yandy Díaz exited the Rays’ 3-0 win against the Giants on Friday night at Tropicana Field after two at-bats due to left side tightness, and was not in the lineup Saturday night.
Díaz’s status is still day to day, according to manager Kevin Cash, but the team was encouraged that he woke up feeling better Saturday morning. He took the day totally off, undergoing treatment but not taking any swings, and hoped to be back in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale.
“I’d like to play tomorrow, but obviously I’m going to talk about it with everyone else. I’m not going to rush it if I don’t need to,” Díaz said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “I’d like it to be tomorrow, but I want to be out there as soon as possible.”
Díaz said he felt “really good” as he sat in the Rays’ dugout on Saturday afternoon. He described his exit on Friday as more precautionary than anything, though he acknowledged he felt “something a little bit off” in his second at-bat of the night.
“I think he's making progress. He woke up feeling a little bit better, so that's good news for us. Continue day to day,” Cash said Saturday. “Obliques are tricky. We'll see. Some guys, it goes away in a day or two. Some guys, it takes a little bit longer.”
Díaz certainly looked healthy as he hammered an opposite-field homer off Giants starter Robbie Ray in the second inning, his fifth home run of the season. It was also his 104th career home run with Tampa Bay, tied with Carl Crawford for seventh most in franchise history.
The veteran only had one more at-bat on the night, a flyout to left field in the fourth inning, and Cash said Díaz appeared to feel some discomfort around his left oblique when he took the first pitch of that at-bat, a curveball down and inside. Díaz swung at the second pitch, a changeup below the zone, and flied out softly to left field.
Jonathan Aranda was on deck to pinch-hit for Díaz in the sixth inning and hit in his spot to lead off the seventh. Jake Fraley was in the lineup as the DH on Saturday, batting fifth, and the Rays shuffled their lineup in Díaz’s absence to have Cedric Mullins bat second in front of Junior Caminero (third) and Aranda (fourth).
“I’m optimistic that we caught it early enough that he’ll be all right,” Cash said Friday night.
Díaz is off to a scorching start for the Rays this season, batting .333 with a .926 OPS to go along with 21 RBIs. His homer on Friday night was also his 300th career extra-base hit and his 283rd with the Rays, tying Carlos Peña for the seventh most in franchise history.
Díaz started each of the Rays’ first 31 games, initially serving as the club’s primary leadoff hitter before recently moving into more regular duty as Tampa Bay’s cleanup man. He has yet to play in the field this season, with all of his work coming as the DH.