As they prepare for their next homestand against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays look to be getting back another outfielder from injury.
Tampa Bay optioned relief pitcher Sean Poppen back to Triple-A Durham on Monday, and it is expected that they will activate outfielder Manuel Margot from the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday’s homestand opener.
Poppen, who the Rays acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 18, made his team debut in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Indians, getting the final two outs of the eighth inning. With the Bulls, Poppen had been 2-3 with a 1.37 earned run average in 17 relief appearances.
Margot was.placed on the injured list after suffering a hamstring strain in a July 6 win over the Cleveland Indians. In 76 games this season, he 26-year-old has hit .252/.297/.404 with nine home runs and 44 RBI.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
