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Chandler Simpson Records Three Hits to Keep Rays Alive
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson was one of the team's primary contributors in the 4-3 12-inning victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night. Simpson went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and an RBI to help keep the Rays alive in the Fall Classic and force a Game 5 on Wednesday evening in Tampa. In addition to his strong night on offense, Simpson made a great leaping catch at the left-field wall to prevent extra bases off the bat of Garrett Mitchell. The 25-year-old speedster still has not homered since debuting in the majors last year, but he still has plenty of ways to help the Rays, as he hit over .300 during the regular season with a league-high 46 stolen bases while adding six triples, 38 RBI, and 66 runs scored in 151 regular-season games across 612 plate appearances. In his first postseason showing of his career this October, Simpson has continued to hit the ball well, going 12-for-41 (.293) with two doubles, a triple, six RBI, five stolen bases, and five runs scored in 12 games played. Tampa will need more out of him on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the World Series if they want to send the series back to Milwaukee on Friday night.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Chandler Simpson Has Productive Game 5
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson showed off his skills in the team's 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the ALCS on Sunday. Simpson was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, a single, a stolen base, and a run scored. Simpson showed off his speed and how much of a threat he is in the run game with his second stolen base of the postseason. The speedster had 46 stolen bases during the regular season. Simpson is hitting just .238 in the postseason, but he had a nice game in Game 5 and will look to build on that back home as the Rays try to put away the Guardians and make the World Series in Game 6 at Tampa Bay.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Victor Mesa Jr. Homers in ALDS-Clinching Win
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. was one of the stars of his team's 4-3 win in Game 3 of the American League Division Series over the New York Yankees, hitting a two-run home run off Yankees left-hander Max Fried. Mesa Jr.'s home run was his only hit of the night, but it gave the Rays a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning that they would ultimately never give back. Across 262 plate appearances in the regular season, Mesa Jr. hit .260/.327/.498 with 14 home runs, 34 RBI, 37 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. After starting the year in the minors, the 25-year-old has emerged as an everyday corner outfielder for Tampa Bay and provides another dynamic power/speed bat for the Rays. If Mesa Jr. can get hot, he could help power a deep postseason run.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Chandler Simpson Unlikely to Play Until ALDS
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (foot) said on Saturday afternoon that his right foot was "just a little sore" from Friday's foul ball, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Simpson did not play in the team's win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday and likely will not play in the regular-season finale on Sunday "to take precautions." He is fully confident that he will be good to go for the American League Division Series opener on Oct. 3. The Rays pulled the 25-year-old speedster from Friday's game early after he fouled a ball off his foot in the sixth inning. Simpson will end his 2026 season with a strong .306/.333/.356 slash line with a .689 OPS, zero home runs, 38 RBI, a league-leading 46 stolen bases, and 66 runs scored in 151 games played across 612 plate appearances in only his second season in the majors. Hopefully for the Rays, Simpson's foot injury does not impact his ability to run once the ALDS kicks off late next week.
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
Source: Tampa Bay Times - Marc Topkin
Chandler Simpson Sitting Out With Foot Injury
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (foot) is not in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's game in Philadelphia against the Phillies, per MLB.com. Victor Mesa Jr. is starting in left field for the Rays and is batting fifth against Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. The Rays are being cautious with the speedster, giving him a day off in Game 2 of the series at Citizens Bank Park after Simpson fouled a ball off his right foot during the win on Friday night. The Rays already have a first-round bye locked up in the American League, so Simpson will have plenty of time to heal before the start of the AL Division Series. If the 25-year-old does not play in the regular-season finale on Sunday, he will finish his second big-league season in 2026 with a very nice .306/.333/.356 slash line, .689 OPS, zero home runs, 38 RBI, and 66 runs scored across 151 games and 612 plate appearances. Simpson has no power to speak of, but he leads the league with 46 stolen bases after swiping 44 bags as a rookie in 2025. His speed in the outfield and on the basepaths is a game-changer for the first-place Rays.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Chandler Simpson Exits with Foot Injury
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (foot) was forced to make an early exit during Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Marc Topkin reports. Simpson sustained an injury after fouling a ball off his foot in the sixth inning. He attempted to stay in the game, but he was pulled in the seventh inning. He was hitless during his three plate appearances during the victory over the Phillies. The expectation is that he'll undergo imaging to determine the severity of the injury. For now, Simpson should be considered day-to-day until more information is known.
Source: Marc Topkin
Source: Marc Topkin
Theo Gillen Shows Off Multi-Category Potential in 2026
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen recorded a strong 2026 season, one that began at High-A and finished at Double-A. The Rays' second-ranked prospect was promoted to Double-A after 57 games at High-A, and despite a dip in batting average from .342 to .288, he did not appear to be overmatched. The former first-rounder's strikeout rate actually improved there, from 23.8 percent to 19.8 percent, while his walk rate remained steady. All in all, the 6-foot-2 slugger slashed .315/.419/.546 with 22 home runs and 44 steals in 116 games and moved all the way up to No. 12 on MLB.com's top prospects list. His type of all-around skill set makes the left-handed hitter a valuable dynasty asset, and he'll have his sights set on Triple-A next year. Once he's knocking on the door to the major leagues, which could be as soon as later next season, even redraft managers should be keeping a close eye on him.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Victor Mesa Jr. Emerging as a Priority Waiver Wire Target
Across 223 plate appearances in 2026, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. is hitting .257/.326/.510 with 13 home runs, 30 RBI, 32 runs scored, and nine stolen bases. The 25-year-old has been scorching hot in September, hitting .450 with three home runs and three stolen bases across 44 trips to the plate. The lefty-swinging Mesa Jr. has seen most of his playing time this year against right-handed pitching, but he's begun to see everyday playing time in the midst of his current hot streak. Mesa Jr.'s underlying metrics suggest that some slight regression might be coming, but he's still posted an 11.4% barrel rate while keeping his strikeout rate below 20%. With his ability to produce across all five categories, Mesa Jr. profiles as a priority waiver wire target going into the final stretch of the 2026 season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Twins to Promote Outfield Prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez
The Minnesota Twins are calling up outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez to the major leagues on Saturday from Triple-A St. Paul, according to Milb Central. Considered the Twins' fifth overall prospect, Rodriguez earns the call to the big leagues this weekend after hitting .262/.414/.500 with a .914 OPS, 11 home runs, 33 RBI, 36 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 49 games across 220 plate appearances with the Saints this year. He could have an opportunity to see some playing time in the final couple of weeks of the 2026 season in Minnesota, although he most likely will not see everyday playing time, even though Byron Buxton will miss the rest of the year because of season-ending hip surgery. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound Rodriguez has played all three outfield positions in the minors and has impressive raw power from the left side of the plate. Rodriguez also has some nice plate discipline and should eventually get on base at a nice clip, but his swing-and-miss tendencies mean he probably will not help in the batting-average department. He is currently rostered in only 1% of Yahoo leagues and is unlikely to make a huge fantasy impact upon his big-league call-up.
Source: Milb Central
Source: Milb Central
Theo Gillen Is Adjusting Nicely To Life at Double-A
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen has fared well at Double-A Montgomery since his promotion in mid-July, hitting .287 with 10 homers and 46 RBI with 43 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. Gillen has showed off all his skills at his new level of the minors and continued to be a big threat on the base paths after he had already stolen 28 bases for High-A Bowling Green, giving him 44 total stolen bases this season. The 20-year-old, left-handed hitter is the No. 2 overall prospect for the Rays and has a 55-grade hit tool with 55-grade power and 60-grade speed. The overall skill-set is elite for Gillen, but it still could be a few years before he makes his impact at the MLB level. Nonetheless, dynasty league managers will want to claim Gillen and wait for his five-tool skill set to hit the major-league level.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Emmanuel Rodriguez Could Be Sneaky Late-Season Stash
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez is hitting for power in his limited action at Triple-A St. Paul this season. In 45 games at Triple-A, Rodriguez has 11 homers and 31 RBI but is hitting just .252. Rodriguez has battled a bad thumb injury this season, which has limited his game time, but the power in his bat has shown. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter is the No. 5 prospect in the Twins system and has a 45-grade hit tool with 55-grade power and speed. Rodriguez also has seven stolen bases in his little game time this season. Rodriguez has some work to do on his overall hitting and is a batting-average risk for fantasy, but his power-speed combination is real. The Twins have already called up top prospects Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper, so they might elect to keep Rodriguez in the minors the rest of this season. But if they do look his way for a promotion, he could have some late impact on the fantasy season.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Emmanuel Rodriguez Hits for the Cycle, Re-Enters Stash Territory
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez has hit safely in 13 of the 16 games he's played at Triple-A since returning from the injured list and has been on base at least once in all but one due to his ability to draw walks. Most impressive of all was that the Twins' fifth-ranked prospect hit for the cycle for St. Paul on Tuesday night, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored. The 5-foot-11 Dominican is the author of a robust .273/.425/.568 slash line this season, with 11 home runs and seven steals in 41 games for the Saints. The left-handed hitter has plenty of pop, registering in the 94th percentile or better in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate, while also showing an elite ability to draw walks over the course of his minor league career, including a 19.7 percent rate in 2026. His inability to stay healthy has been the limiting factor and what has kept him from debuting in the majors, having played in no more than 65 games the last three seasons. Currently healthy, though, the 23-year-old -- who is on the 40-man roster -- should be considered a high-end stash option for power, though he carries batting average risk.
Source: MiLB.com
Source: MiLB.com
Emmanuel Rodriguez Red-Hot At Triple-A in His Return
Minnesota Twins outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez has gotten off to a great start in his return to Triple-A St. Paul this season with 10 homers and 27 RBI in 39 games while hitting .246 with 26 runs scored and seven stolen bases. Rodriguez recovered from thumb surgery and has only played a total of 48 games this season between three minor league levels on his way back. Rodriguez is the No. 5 prospect in the Twins' system and has 55-grade power with 55-grade speed. That power-speed combination is appealing to fantasy managers but with a 45-grade hit tool, the batting average is a concern. With Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper called up from the minors already this season, the Twins are most likely to allow Rodriguez to fully recover this season at Triple-A, but a call-up to Minnesota isn't out of the question.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Jacob Melton a Strong Stash for Steals When Healthy
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Jacob Melton (hamstring) was flashing his elite speed at Triple-A Durham before being placed on the injured list with hamstring tightness back on August 4, his second time on the IL this season. The Rays' eighth-ranked prospect was riding a six-game hit streak and had stolen bases in three consecutive games before suffering the injury, which had raised his slash line to .285/.381/.520 with five home runs and 23 steals in just 36 games for the Bulls. The former second-round draft pick has been swinging a bat recently, but there has been no official update to his status from the organization, so his timeline for return is unclear. It has been an injury-marred campaign, and if the 25-year-old could stay healthy, he'd be one of the top stashes for his stolen-base potential, but until the 6-foot-2 slugger returns to action and makes a run at a major league promotion, there is no need to roster him.
Source: Run From the OPS
Source: Run From the OPS
Theo Gillen Producing Monster Numbers in Minors at Age 20
Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Theo Gillen is just 20 years old and is already showing off his skills with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. The left-handed hitter has split his time between High-A and Double-A this season with 21 homers and 80 RBI to go with 40 stolen bases while hitting .323. Those are monster numbers for the young outfield prospect, and they are enticing to call for a stash of Gillen to fantasy rosters even in redraft leagues. The 40 stolen bases are elite speed for the Rays' No. 2 overall prospect. He boasts 60-grade speed with a 55-grade hit tool and 55-grade power. Fantasy managers wanting to take a chance can do so on Gillen, but he has yet to hit Triple-A, so the Rays could be a bit hesitant in their promotion of the future star.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
