Yandy appears ready to return from foot injury

September 28th, 2019

TORONTO -- The Rays have dealt with injuries all season, but they could be getting healthy at the right time.

played in another instructional league game on Saturday, and the infielder will fly to Toronto and join Tampa Bay before Sunday’s game against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The decision hasn’t been officially made, but the Rays appear likely to activate Díaz, who has been out since July 22 with a hairline fracture in his left foot.

“I saw some iPhone clips of it, and he looked pretty normal,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The plan is for him to get on a plane. Get here this evening, and then we’ll see what we do with him tomorrow.”

Díaz had six at-bats on Saturday, five off left-handed pitching. If the Rays activate him, they’ll have to make a move on the 40-man roster because Díaz is on the 60-day injured list.

The Rays will also have to look for a role for Díaz, who won’t be asked to play defense.

“Yandy is not going to play the field, so he’s going to impact us, if we go that way, with his bat,” Cash said. “Then we’ll decide if we run for him if needed, and stuff like that. But every day, we’re buying more time of him healing.”

Choi update
was seen walking with less of a limp, and it appears that his left foot is healing quickly. Choi wasn’t in the lineup against the Blue Jays on Saturday and wasn’t expected to make an appearance. He could return on Sunday if the situation presents itself.

Cash said one of the highlights of the clubhouse celebration after Friday's 6-2 win, which clinched an American League Wild Card berth, was seeing Choi dancing despite the injury, which occurred on a foul ball in Wednesday's 4-0 win over the Yankees.

“He couldn’t hit, he couldn’t play, but that foot miraculously got really good,” Cash joked. “I think [dancing] loosened it up. He feels better today. We’ll give him the day, and then we’ll see what we want to do tomorrow, whether it’s off the bench or to play.”

Morton celebrates in Toronto
Last season, stayed home as his wife, Cindy, was getting ready to give birth to their fourth child, Emilia. It was Sept. 26, 2018, and the Astros had just clinched the AL West in Toronto. As the celebration went on, Morton received a FaceTime call from Astros outfielder George Springer so that the right-hander could be a virtual part of the festivities.

Just a few hours later, Emilia Noelle Morton was born.

“It was like 12:05 [a.m.] or something like that,” Morton recalled. “So it was technically Sept. 27.”

Fast-forward to exactly a year later, and Morton was standing in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre. This time he was present, and his new team was celebrating its first postseason berth since 2013.

To make the story even better for Morton, his daughter celebrated her first birthday on Friday and took her first steps. For the second consecutive year, Sept. 27 was a special day for Morton, and it’ll be a date that will forever mean something to him.

“It’s really cool,” Morton said. “Really cool.”