He ran, he hit the ground, he got back up, and then he ran again. That is Chandler Simpson, the 25-year-old star, in a nutshell. But even the Rays’ speedster looked vulnerable for a moment Monday night.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
One routine play turned scary when Simpson’s knee jammed into the Comerica Park turf on an inning-ending catch. For a player whose game is built on speed, the sight was enough to worry the Rays.
“Chandler Simpson was shaken up after his knee got caught in the outfield grass while making an inning-ending sliding catch. Simpson remained in the game and led off the next half-inning,” wrote Talkin’ Baseball on X
Simpson made the inning-ending sliding catch cleanly, but the landing was the problem. His knee got stuck in the outfield grass as he fell forward, ripping out a chunk of turf and leaving a noticeable divot. Simpson was in visible discomfort as teammates rushed to check on him, but after a few minutes, he was able to stand on his own.
Rasmussen had made quick work of Colt Keith and Hao-Yu Lee before Kevin McGonigle lined a 1-2 pitch into left. Simpson tracked it down to end the inning, but the awkward landing turned the routine out into a sudden injury scare for Tampa Bay.
“Chandler Simpson made the catch, but the landing, you can see that big divot out there, and let’s hope he’s OK,” the broadcaster noted. “Yeah, it just, that knee went right into the turf like a jart, and he really just comes down straight into the turf and becomes like an anchor there,” another announcer said.
The Rays did not waste much time taking control. Tampa Bay scored twice in the first inning, with Yandy Díaz coming home on Junior Caminero’s groundout before Ryan Vilade scored on Jonathan Aranda’s fielder’s choice. That gave Drew Rasmussen a 2-0 cushion before he even had to settle into the game.
Tampa Bay added another run in the fourth when Chandler Simpson dropped down a bunt single that brought Jorge Mateo home and stretched the lead to 3-0. Detroit finally answered in the bottom half after Kevin McGonigle doubled, moved to third on Dillon Dingler’s single, and scored on Brett Callahan’s sacrifice fly. But that was all the Tigers could get against Rasmussen.
Aranda then gave the Rays some breathing room in the sixth, launching a solo homer off Framber Valdez to make it 4-1. Rasmussen finished six innings allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out five. Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodríguez and Bryan Baker handled the final three innings without allowing another run, with Baker closing it out for his 38th save. Tampa Bay finished with nine hits and never trailed, handing Detroit its sixth straight loss with a 4-1 win.
Fortunately for the Rays, Simpson appeared to have escaped a serious injury, which was especially important for an already thin outfield. Victor Mesa Jr. has been on the 10-day IL since August 19 with a left hamstring strain, while Jake Fraley remains on the 60-day IL because of a hernia.
The Rays are also carrying a long injury list beyond the outfield. Griffin Jax is working back from right elbow discomfort, Cole Sulser is rehabbing from lower-back spasms, and Ben Williamson remains sidelined with a right hamstring strain.
Gavin Lux, Edwin Uceta, Jonathan Heasley and Ryan Pepiot are all dealing with longer-term injuries. Pepiot is already ruled out for the season after hip surgery, so another setback involving Simpson would only add to a roster that has already been tested heavily by injuries.
And Simpson has already had one lower-body scare this season. Back in May, left-leg cramps forced him out of a game against the Blue Jays. He sat out the next day as a precaution, but the tests came back clean, there was no lingering soreness, and he was back without the issue turning into anything serious.
This time, the scare also passed quickly, and once Simpson stayed in the game, the focus shifted back to how firmly Tampa Bay was controlling it.
The play prevented the Tigers from suffering a shutout loss as Rasmussen dominated the lineup.
Drew Rasmussen secured 7th straight win
Drew Rasmussen and Jonathan Aranda led the charge in Tampa Bay’s 4-1 win.
Aranda drove in two runs, including his sixth-inning homer. In the first, he brought Ryan Vilade home on a fielder’s choice to first.
Rasmussen’s ERA dropped to 2.95 as he secured his seventh straight win. Monday also marked his first 100-pitch outing since July 16, with 71 of his 103 pitches going for strikes.
His current winning streak is the second-longest in franchise history, behind Blake Snell’s nine straight wins in 2018.
The Rays held Detroit to five hits and stranded six runners. Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodríguez and Bryan Baker combined for three scoreless innings in relief, with Baker lowering his ERA to 1.56 and recording his 38th save in 54 games.
The Tigers have now lost nine of their last 10 games, sit four games behind the final AL Wild Card spot, and are nine games below .500 at 61-70.
Tampa Bay improved to 78-53 and remained atop the AL East, 3.5 games ahead of the Yankees.
The Rays still have two games left in Detroit before returning home for three against the Padres and three against the Mets.
September brings a tougher stretch, with series against the Rangers, Braves, Astros and Athletics before the division race takes center stage. Tampa Bay hosts Boston from Sept. 18-20, then heads to Yankee Stadium for four games over three days from Sept. 22-24, including a doubleheader on Sept. 22.
The Rays will then close the regular season with three games in Philadelphia from Sept. 25-27, making the final week especially important if the AL East race remains tight.