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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-rumors-wander-franco-forfeit-154-million-mlb-career-likely-done');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays rumors: Wander Franco set to forfeit $154 million with MLB career likely done');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rays-shortstop-Wander-Franco.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays rumors: Wander Franco set to forfeit $154 million with MLB career likely done</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T11:21:16-07:00">June 29th, 11:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T11:21:16-07:00">June 29th, 11:21am</time><address><a href="http://erinachenbach.com">Erin Achenbach</a>Erin Achenbach is the Lead Women’s Sports Editor at ClutchPoints, championing women’s sports coverage and media representation. Originally from Dallas, she graduated from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism in 2017. Now residing in St. Louis, the lifelong Texas Rangers fan has spent the past five years covering community news, and avoiding any Cardinals fans who remind her about Game 6 of the 2011 World Series.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Tampa Bay Rays shortstop <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-wander-franco-found-guilty-sexual-abuse">Wander Franco has likely played his final baseball game</a> in the major leagues following a conviction for sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic. Franco, 24, received a two-year suspended prison sentence and is now at risk of being permanently barred from reentering the United States under current immigration laws.</p><p>Because the conviction is classified as a crime <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2025/06/29/milwaukee-brewers-nl-central-standings/84404488007/" rel="noopener">involving moral turpitude,</a> it is expected to prevent Franco from obtaining a U.S. work visa, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Without the ability to legally enter the country, he would be unable to resume his MLB career with the Rays. He has five days to appeal the ruling following formal sentencing on July 27. Unless the conviction is overturned on appeal, the path back to professional baseball in the U.S. appears closed.</p><p>The result is not only the likely end of Franco’s MLB tenure but also the forfeiture of the remaining $154 million on his 11-year, $182 million contract signed with the Rays in 2021. Franco, who had played just 70 games at the time of the deal, was regarded as one of baseball’s most promising young stars.</p><p>Franco remains on MLB’s restricted list and has not played for the Rays since August 2023, when social media allegations surfaced about his relationship with a minor. He was initially placed on paid administrative leave, but was moved to the restricted list in July 2024 after he was formally charged.</p><p>MLB’s investigation remains open. In <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2025/06/26/wander-franco-mlb-suspended-sentence/84377388007/" rel="noopener">a statement</a> June 26, the league said: “We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,” via Nightengale.</p><p>The case stems from <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-prosecutors-claim-conclusive-evidence-against-wander-franco">allegations that Franco had a sexual relationship</a> with a minor beginning in December 2022. The court also sentenced the victim’s mother, Martha Vanessa Chevalier Almonte, to 10 years in prison for trafficking her daughter. Franco was informed he must serve his full sentence if he violates court conditions and is prohibited from approaching minors with sexual intent.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-wander-franco-charged-illegal-gun-possession-amid-sexual-abuse-trial">Franco also faces separate charges</a> for illegal possession of a handgun following a 2024 incident in San Juan de la Maguana.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays rumors: Wander Franco set to forfeit $154 million with MLB career likely done

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-zach-eflin-exits-vs-rays-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Orioles’ Zach Eflin exits game vs. Rays with injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zach-Eflin-ii.jpg"></figure><h1>Orioles’ Zach Eflin exits game vs. Rays with injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T14:56:02-07:00">June 28th, 2:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T15:12:02-07:00">June 28th, 3:12pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Baltimore Orioles busted out of slump in a big way in their series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-baltimore-offense-hit-marks-unseen-25-years">Orioles’ offense scored 22 runs</a> in Friday’s game, the team’s most prolific output in 25 years. Unfortunately, the good vibes created by the dominant 22-8 win were dampened as the Orioles endured yet another injury.</p><p>Zach Eflin was forced to leave <a href="https://x.com/JakeDRill/status/1939059391468093514" rel="noopener">his start</a> against the Rays Saturday with lower back tightness, per MLB.com’s Jake Rill.</p><p>The veteran pitcher exited after one inning against his former team. Recently acquired ex-Braves reliever Scott Blewett took over in the second. However, neither pitcher fared well against the Rays. Eflin allowed four runs on five hits in his inning of work, while Blewett gave up four runs on two hits and three walks in 2 ⅔ innings.</p><h2><b>Zach Eflin suffers latest Orioles injury in brutal 2025 season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zach-Eflin-i.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s unclear if Eflin will need to miss time with the back issue that ended his outing early on Saturday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-baltimore-painful-zach-eflin-il-move">Eflin previously landed on the 15-day IL</a> with a right lat strain in April. He was sidelined for over a month with the ailment, returning to the Orioles in mid May.</p><p>Baltimore has been plagued by injuries this season. The team currently has 11 players on the injured list, including three members of the rotation. Key starters Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez are both on the 60-day IL and have yet to pitch in 2025.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-baltimore-lands-rays-zach-eflin-trade-before-deadline">Orioles landed Eflin at the trade deadline</a> last season in a deal with the Rays. The 10th-year veteran pitched well for Baltimore in 2024, helping the team make a second-half playoff push. However, Eflin has struggled in his first full season with the Orioles. His ERA ballooned to 5.95 after getting shelled by the Rays. He entered the game with a 1.377 WHIP, 6.2 K/9 and paltry 71 ERA+.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-tony-mansolino-blames-grind-offensive-slump">Orioles have been in a dismal offensive slump</a>. Prior to Friday’s 22-run explosion, the team had been shut out twice in its last three games and opposing pitchers took no-hitters into the seventh inning or later in three of the last five games.</p><p>Baltimore appears to be following up its big offensive showing with a dud. After five innings the Rays lead 9-1 and the Orioles have managed just three hits.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Orioles’ Zach Eflin exits game vs. Rays with injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-yandy-diaz-bold-mlb-claim-royals-sweep');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ Yandy Diaz makes bold MLB claim after Royals sweep');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Yandy-Diaz-2.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays’ Yandy Diaz makes bold MLB claim after Royals sweep</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T21:45:22-07:00">June 26th, 9:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T21:45:22-07:00">June 26th, 9:45pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-historic-comeback-win-orioles">Tampa Bay Rays are heating up</a> at just the right time—and their first baseman isn’t shy about it. Following a dominant sweep over the Kansas City Royals, Yandy Diaz didn’t hold back when asked about his team’s current status in the league.</p><p>In an article written by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Diaz delivered quite the <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2025/06/26/shane-baz-royals-brandon-lowe-junior-caminero-jake-mangum/" rel="noopener">confident</a> statement through team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez.</p><p>“I think we are the best team in baseball right now, and hopefully we can keep it up and finish strong.”</p><p>It’s a bold claim, but it’s hard to argue with the recent results. The Rays finished the series with a 4-0 shutout win, improving to 46-35 and pulling within half a game of the AL East standings behind the first place New York Yankees. More impressively, they’ve posted a 25-9 record since May 20th, showing consistency on both sides of the ball.</p><p>On the mound, Shane Baz turned in what may have been the most dominant start of his career. The right-hander fired eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits while striking out nine. After surrendering a leadoff double, Baz locked in—retiring 19 consecutive batters and flashing the electric arsenal that once made him one of the clubs’ top prospects.</p><p>Offensively, the Rays continued to flex their depth. In the fourth inning, Jonathan Aranda, Jake Mangum, and Josh Lowe pieced together a two-out rally that produced two runs in just six pitches. Then, in the sixth, Brandon Lowe and Junior Caminero launched back-to-back solo homers, with Caminero becoming just the sixth player aged 21 or younger in MLB history to hit 20 home runs before July 1st..</p><p>Defensively, Taylor Walls sealed the sweep with a game-ending double play that left the Royals scoreless for the final 15 innings of the series.</p><p>With Diaz’s 15-game hitting streak coming to an end on Thursday and Brandon Lowe now riding a 13-game streak of his own, the offense continues to produce consistently alongside a deep, flexible pitching staff.</p><p>As the AL East standings tighten, Tampa’s chemistry and confidence could make the difference. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-makes-move-case-reaches-world-series">Diaz’s bold words</a> may not just be locker-room hype—they reflect the club’s recent dominance. Whether or not they’re truly MLB’s best team remains to be seen, but right now, the Rays are certainly in the conversation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ Yandy Diaz makes bold MLB claim after Royals sweep

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-wander-franco-found-guilty-sexual-abuse');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ Wander Franco found guilty for sexual abuse');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Wander-Franco-trail-moves-forward-after-sufficient-evidence.jpg"></figure><h1>Rays’ Wander Franco found guilty for sexual abuse</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T16:10:48-07:00">June 26th, 4:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T16:10:48-07:00">June 26th, 4:10pm</time><address><a>Guillermo Guajardo</a>Guillermo Guajardo is a dynamic sports presenter with experience on various television channels and digital platforms, most recently with A Tiempo.TV. He is also a multidisciplinary artist with 10 years of experience in acting, directing, writing, and hosting. His work in film has been recognized at international festivals, earning awards for both his performances and directorial projects.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Wander Franco, the former Tampa Bay Rays shortstop, has been <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45592342/rays-wander-franco-guilty-sexual-abuse-gets-suspended-sentence" rel="noopener">found guilty of sexually abusing a minor</a> in the Dominican Republic, <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1938344991341871418" rel="noopener">receiving a two-year suspended prison sentence</a>, as reported by various sources. This conviction is linked to a four-month relationship he had with a 14-year-old girl when he was 21.</p><p>Now 24, Franco was also accused of giving the girl’s mother money and a car in exchange for her approval of the illegal relationship. The mother has since been convicted on sex trafficking charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to ESPN.</p><p>The Dominican court trial had 31 witnesses take the stand, plus a lot of evidence from the prosecution. Judge Jakayra Veras García made a note that the minor was manipulated. Franco <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wander-franco-dominican-republic-tampa-bay-rays-f1ffcb27549164cc39c3d4aa4f889161" rel="noopener">displayed little reaction</a> while the trial was in session, leading towards a three-judge panel consensus.</p><p>Franco was convicted while still contracted with the Tampa Bay Rays, signing an 11-year, $182 million deal in 2021. He hasn’t played for the team since August 12, 2023, when he was placed on the restricted list in July 2024, when formal charges were placed. Players on the restricted list do not receive pay or service time.</p><p>In addition to the sexual abuse case, Franco is dealing with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-wander-franco-charged-illegal-gun-possession-amid-sexual-abuse-trial">another legal issue involving an illegal firearm</a>. In November 2024, while awaiting trial, he was arrested for allegedly carrying a semi-automatic Glock 19 during an altercation. That case is still pending in Dominican courts.</p><p>Major League Baseball has confirmed it will wrap up its investigation into Franco’s behavior under the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Notably, criminal charges aren’t necessary for the league to impose discipline, which in the past has included suspensions lasting over 300 games.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-kevin-cash-breaks-silence-serious-wander-franco-charges">The Rays released a statement acknowledging</a> the court’s ruling, expressing their respect for the legal process and their commitment to cooperating with MLB. However, they chose not to provide further comments at this time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ Wander Franco found guilty for sexual abuse

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/2-sneaky-trades-rays-must-make-boost-world-series-chances');   ga('set', 'title', '2 sneaky trades Rays must make to boost World Series chances');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/X-sneaky-trades-Rays-must-make-to-boost-World-Series-chances.jpg"></figure><h1>2 sneaky trades Rays must make to boost World Series chances</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-26T09:45:45-07:00">June 26th, 9:45am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-26T09:45:45-07:00">June 26th, 9:45am</time><address><a>Cameron Zunkel</a>Cameron Zunkel is a former college athlete for the University of Illinois, Springfield. During that time, he earned his masters degree in Communication. After graduating in 2022, Cameron signed to play independent professional baseball with the Joliet Slammers, but his time was cut short due to injury. Nonetheless, his love for baseball and all sports never faded.Cameron loves the sports media and sports journalism side of things and does some light writing for a Chicago Cubs blog, as well. To go along with that, he loves sports betting and fantasy sports. He also loves digging on the research and creating content for both sports betting and fantasy sports!</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays have made a surprising run in the past month, and they are looking like a team to fear in the American League. Tampa Bay is 14-6 in their last 20 games, and now sit in second place in the AL East division. They are just one game back from first place, and the Rays hold the top Wild Card spot in the AL.</p><p>With the team playing as well as they are, they are starting to look at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-makes-move-case-reaches-world-series">possibility of hosting playoff games</a>, especially in the World Series. The team is as confident as any in the MLB, and they do not have any plans of going home early. However, if the Rays want to make the playoffs, and get to the World Series, there have to be some upgrades to the team.</p><p>Tampa Bay has a few team needs, and below are two players that could fill those holes.</p><h2><b>Rays team needs</b></h2><p>The Rays are playing great baseball, and a large part of it is thanks to their offense. Tampa Bay is second in the MLB in batting average, 11th in OPS, and eighth in runs scored. Their hitting has not been the problem this season, but an impact bat will never hurt a team.</p><p>However, the bigger team need comes within the starting rotation. Both Taj Bradley and Shane Baz are flirting with a 5.00 ERA, so a starting pitcher would be a big help. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-kevin-cash-cryptic-shane-mcclanahan-injury-update">Shane McClanahan has also been out all season</a>. In the postseason, a team does not necessarily need five good starting pitchers. But, the Rays only have three consistent ones they can trust at the moment. If they add a good starting pitcher, they will immediately be contenders.</p><p>In addition to that, It would not hurt Tampa Bay to go get a reliever. Bullpen arms are always in high demand at the trade deadline, and injuries constantly happen. Although the Rays are pretty good in relief right now, an extra arm in the bullpen would be beneficial towards their success.</p><h2><b>Rays should trade for Merrill Kelly</b></h2><p>It will not be cheap, but if the Rays want to add a true difference maker in the rotation, Merrill Kelly is the guy. He is in his <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/_/id/28232/merrill-kelly" rel="noopener">last year of his contract</a> in Arizona, and his contract is very affordable. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-padres-diamondbacks-refuse-sell-trade-deadline">Diamondbacks might not be keen on selling</a>, but for the right price, Kelly could become available.</p><p>On the season, Kelly is 7-3 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 93 strikeouts, and 25 walks in 93.0 innings pitched. More impressively, Kelly has allowed opponents to bat just .211 off him in his 16 starts. He has been even more lights out in June. With Arizona falling behind in their division, and the Wild Card race, it would not be surprising to see them sell at the deadline.</p><p>The Rays will have to give up some prospects for the one-year rental Kelly would be, but the price would be worth the return. Adding Kelly would immediately give the Rays someone they can rely on to pitch in the big games, and lead them to a few wins, especially in the postseason.</p><h2><b>Jake Bird would be a solid addition to the bullpen </b></h2><p>There is no denying how bad the Colorado Rockies are. With their misfortunes this year, look for the Rockies to sell off some of their better players. One of those players is Jake Bird.</p><p>It is hard enough to pitch in Colorado, but to do it for a team that has been really bad this year makes it tougher. Still, Bird has been one of the best relievers in baseball. On the season, the right-hander has thrown 44.2 innings in 34 games pitched, struck out 56 batters, walked 18, and opponents are batting .239 off him. With that, Bird owns a 2.62 ERA.</p><p>Now, Bird is 29 years old, and he is not a free agent until the 2029 season. He has some arbitration years left, and acquiring a pitcher like that with club control is going to be costly. Still, having Bird in the bullpen will not only help the Rays this year, but for the next few years.</p><p>If Tampa Bay brings in Bird, look for them to immediately become World Series contenders.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 sneaky trades Rays must make to boost World Series chances

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-makes-move-case-reaches-world-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays make intriguing move in case it reaches World Series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tampa-Bay-Rays-starting-pitcher-Taj-Bradley.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Aiken-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays make intriguing move in case it reaches World Series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-25T17:17:54-07:00">June 25th, 5:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-25T17:17:54-07:00">June 25th, 5:17pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays entered Wednesday’s action one game behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. Kevin Cash’s team is 7-3 in their last ten games and is the top wild card team in the AL playoff picture, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-new-contender-emerges-potential-buyer-tampa-bay-sale">despite the inevitable sale of the Rays</a>. However, even if Tampa Bay makes it to the playoffs, they will be playing on enemy soil a big disadvantage for Taj Bradley and Co..</p><p>Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and the team have engaged in talks with Major League Baseball about changing the venue of their postseason games. Right now, Tampa Bay plays their games at Steinbrenner Field, the home of the Yankees in spring training. Their previous home, Tropicana Field, was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in 2024.</p><p>According to Ken Rosenthal and MLB on Fox, Sternberg and the Rays have started to talk about <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLV3pDoxIka/?e=df9d1a50-02ce-46df-8520-e6d9d55dde8f&amp;g=5" rel="noopener">alternate home locations</a>. If Tampa Bay makes it to the ALCS or the World Series, their venue could be a neutral site in Florida.</p><p>The Rays are likely to make it to the postseason thanks to Cash. Tampa Bay’s manager has his team firing on all cylinders. Junior <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-junior-caminero-confident-claim-after-6-rbi-masterpiece">Caminero is in the middle of a great season at the plate for the Rays</a>. Bradley and the rest of the starting rotation have picked up Shane McClanahan’s slack and then some.</p><p>If the Rays make it to the playoffs, there is a real possibility that they could face the Yankees. Despite staying competitive with them throughout the season, playing at the same stadium would give New York an unfair advantage.</p><p>Although this would be a unique change in MLB history, Sternberg’s request could be granted. As for potential locations, no stadiums are in consideration at this point. However, if the Miami Marlins miss the postseason, LoanDepot Park could serve as a replacement.</p><p>Cash has his team playing well, and all the Rays want is a fair chance in the playoffs. Bradley and the rest of the team feel they deserve as much. However, if they were to leave Florida, they could lose the support of their fans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays make intriguing move in case it reaches World Series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-kevin-cash-injury-update-hunter-bigge');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ Kevin Cash provides injury update on pitcher struck in the face by foul ball');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kevin-Cash.jpg"><figcaption>Mike Watters-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays’ Kevin Cash provides injury update on pitcher struck in the face by foul ball</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-21T09:08:41-07:00">June 21st, 9:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-21T09:08:41-07:00">June 21st, 9:08am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays secured a convincing 14-8 victory over the 48-win Detroit Tigers on Friday night showcasing their offensive depth and resilience amid a difficult situation involving injured reliever Hunter Bigge. Following the win, Kevin Cash, manager of the Rays, shared a positive injury update on Bigge who suffered a serious foul ball injury just one night prior.</p><p>On June 19th, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-hunter-bigge-carted-off-105-mph-line-drive">Bigge endured a terrifying moment during Tampa Bay’s game</a> against the Baltimore Orioles when a 105.1 mph foul ball struck him in the face causing multiple facial fractures. Bigge was immediately taken to a local hospital where he underwent successful surgery. He has shown significant improvement since the incident.</p><p>In an article written by Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times, manager Cash revealed that Bigge never lost consciousness and was hit on the side of his face rather than directly in the eye. He described the injury as scary but <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2025/06/20/rays-say-initial-word-hunter-bigge-is-good-with-details-come/" rel="noopener">offered relief</a> regarding Bigge’s condition after visiting him.</p><p>“He’s in a very good spot right now,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said after Friday’s 14-8 win. “We’re very encouraged by all the news.”</p><p>Cash, who visited Bigge in the hospital, emphasized how uplifting it was to see his pitcher’s improved condition just a day after the frightening event.</p><p>“Getting to see Hunter and talk to him, he was in good spirits,” Cash said. “For me personally, witnessing and watching what took place (Thursday), to see how he was (Friday), and being able to interact, things were heading in a really good direction.”</p><p>The incident prompted caution within the dugout, with team members now staying safely behind protective netting. This precaution followed recent similar incidents, including assistant hitting coach Brady North’s injury earlier this season, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in MLB dugouts.</p><p>Meanwhile, the club channeled their emotions into stellar gameplay against the Tigers. Yandy Díaz hit two home runs, including his 19th career leadoff blast, while Matt Thaiss contributed four RBIs. Every Tampa Bay starter contributed at least one hit, reinforcing their versatility and depth. Shane Baz secured his seventh win of the season, reinforcing the Rays’ dominant run.</p><p>The team’s recent success <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-zack-littells-hot-streak-will-remind-fans-of-shane-mcclanahan">places the Rays within just 1.5 games</a> of the AL East-leading New York Yankees, solidifying their contention status. Despite the worrisome situation with Bigge, Tampa Bay’s collective focus on team strength and morale was evident on Friday, underlined by their decisive performance against Detroit.</p><p>Bigge, who has emerged as an important reliever for the Rays, continues to recover positively and may soon leave the hospital. His injury serves as a stark reminder of baseball’s unpredictable dangers. As the season progresses, the Rays remain cautiously optimistic about Bigge’s return, encouraged by the pitcher’s resilience and promising recovery.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ Kevin Cash provides injury update on pitcher struck in the face by foul ball

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-new-contender-emerges-potential-buyer-tampa-bay-sale');   ga('set', 'title', 'New contender emerges as potential buyer amid Rays sale');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/The-Rays-logo.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>New contender emerges as potential buyer amid Rays sale</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-21T08:58:41-07:00">June 21st, 8:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-21T08:58:41-07:00">June 21st, 8:58am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints, who also covers the NBA and MLB. He received his Masters in Business Administration Bachelor's degree in Sports Management from Nichols College. Previously, ran his own website, and had bylines at FanSided, Basketball Network, Athlon Sports, and The Sporting News. In addition to his work at ClutchPoints, Owen is also a Breaking News Writer at Heavy and a Content Producer for More Views Media.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-former-all-star-opts-out-contract">Tampa Bay Rays</a> shared an eye-opening announcement earlier this week that they were <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-rumors-billion-sale-imminent">in discussions regarding a potential sale</a>. While those discussions were initially billed as “exclusive,” it seems like another buyer has thrown their hat in the race, which could lead to a full-scale bidding war in the coming weeks and months.</p><p>Initially, it looked like Patrick Zalupski, a real estate investor from Jacksonville, Florida, would be buying the Rays. On Friday night, though, it was revealed that a Trip Miller, hedge fund founder from Memphis, Tennessee, had <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6440697/2025/06/20/tampa-bay-rays-buyer-trip-miller-sternberg/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=twhq&amp;source=twitterhq" rel="noopener">made an all-cash offer</a> to Tampa Bay’s current owner, Stu Sternberg, for the team.</p><p>“Memphis hedge fund founder Trip Miller has formed a group that made an all-cash offer to current Rays owner Stu Sternberg last week, he told The Athletic, noting the group’s willingness to up their offer if needed. He did not say what amount his group bid, and said he could not reveal who was in his group, citing an NDA,” Sam Blum wrote for The Athletic.</p><h2><b>Could there be a bidding war for the Rays?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/The-Rays-logo.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It remains to be seen whether or not the Rays will consider Miller’s offer, or if they are dead set on selling to Zalupski. It is clear, though, that while it looked like Zalupski was going to have no competition for the team, Miller and several other folks may look to make things interesting at the very least, which could prompt other interested parties to make their own offer for the franchise.</p><p>On the field, the Rays have been on a roll as of late, as they have surged up to second place in the American League East with a 42-34 record. After kicking off their series against the Detroit Tigers with a 14-8 victory on Friday, they will look to pick up a series victory over the team with the best record in baseball when they take the field at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

New contender emerges as potential buyer amid Rays sale

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-former-all-star-opts-out-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Former All-Star opts out of Rays contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kyle-Gibson.jpg"></figure><h1>Former All-Star opts out of Rays contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T19:58:00-07:00">June 20th, 7:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T20:15:04-07:00">June 20th, 8:15pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Baltimore Orioles</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Veteran pitcher Kyle Gibson is still searching for an MLB home in 2025. A market for the right-handed starter failed to materialize over the offseason and Gibson ended up signing with the Baltimore Orioles in late March. However, his stint with Baltimore was short lived and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-kyle-gibson-resurfaces-in-tampa-bay-after-brutal-orioles-campaign">Gibson caught on with the Tampa Bay Rays</a> in May, agreeing to a minor league contract. Now, a month later, he’s <a href="https://x.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1936178588719755330" rel="noopener">looking to sign</a> with a third club this season.</p><p>Gibson has opted out of his minor league deal with the Rays, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The 13th-year veteran didn’t see a path to making Tampa Bay’s starting rotation.</p><p>It’s been a trying season for the former All-Star. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-orioles-ink-2021-all-star-pitcher-1-year-deal">Gibson signed his one-year, $5.25 million deal</a> with Baltimore one week before Opening Day, causing him to miss out on spring training. He got a brief tuneup in the minors, pitching seven innings over two starts, but it was clear the 37-year-old was unprepared for the season.</p><h2><b>Kyle Gibson seeks third team in 2025 after walking from Rays</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Kyle-Gibson-3.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Gibson only made four starts for Baltimore before getting <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/baltimore-orioles/orioles-news-bail-5-25-million-pitcher-16-78-era">DFA’d and then waived by the Orioles</a>. He went 0-3 with a 16.78 ERA, 2.919 WHIP, -1.1 bWAR and ERA+ of 23 in 12 1/3 disastrous innings for Baltimore.</p><p>Despite the poor showing, the Rays scooped up Gibson, sending him to their Triple-A affiliate. It was essentially a no-risk signing for Tampa Bay as the team would only have to pay him the veteran’s minimum, as the Orioles remain on the hook for his $5.25 million salary.</p><p>Interestingly, Gibson was excellent with Durham posting a 0.52 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 22 strikeouts in 17.1 innings over four starts. But the strong showing wasn’t enough to get his contract selected by the Rays. So Gibson opted to move on, hoping to get another shot at starting with a big league club.</p><p>While Gibson is headed elsewhere, the Rays have heated up in June. The team has won 11 of the last 16 games, gaining ground on the New York Yankees in the AL East. A month ago, Tampa Bay was fourth in the division and 6.5 games out of first place. But the team’s hot streak, combined with the Yankees’ recent slump, has the Rays just 2.5 games behind New York.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Former All-Star opts out of Rays contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-tampa-bay-ha-seong-kim-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays infielder gets promising injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ha-Seong-Kim-during-Rays-Media-Day.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays infielder gets promising injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T16:59:27-07:00">June 20th, 4:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T17:05:33-07:00">June 20th, 5:05pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays received an important injury update on Friday. Infielder <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-rays-agree-29-million-deal-former-padres-infielder-ha-seong-kim">Ha-Seong Kim, who signed with the Rays</a> this past offseason, has yet to play in a regular season game with Tampa Bay due to injury. He was previously set to begin a rehab assignment but it was delayed due to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/rays-news-padres-ha-seong-kim-injury-update">hamstring issue</a>. Now, according to Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times, Kim is <a href="https://x.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1936172014844207435" rel="noopener">expected to begin a rehab assignment</a>.</p><p>“#Rays INF Ha-Seong Kim set to restart rehab assignment at Triple-A@DurhamBulls, per Bulls transactions page. Will DH tonight. Was pulled off last rehab due to hamstring tightness. Gets a new 20-day window, unclear how long until he joins Rays,” Topkin wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Kim, 29, spent the first four seasons of his career with the San Diego Padres. He endured ups and downs in San Diego but established himself as an overall reliable big league ball player.</p><p>The Rays were hoping he would make a significant impact, but as mentioned, Kim has yet to play for the team. That could change soon, though.</p><p>If Kim avoids any setbacks, he could realistically join the big league team within the next couple of weeks. Tampa Bay will proceed with caution, of course. The Rays would love to add the infielder to the lineup, though.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays infielder gets promising injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/3-rays-trade-block-2025-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', '3 Rays who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Tampa-Bay-Rays-starting-pitcher-Shane-McClanahan-1.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>3 Rays who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-20T15:34:41-07:00">June 20th, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-20T15:34:41-07:00">June 20th, 3:34pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays entered their series against the Detroit Tigers at 41-34. Kevin Cash’s team has been a surprisingly competitive one this year, competing for a wild card playoff spot in the American League. Despite <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-rumors-billion-sale-imminent">the drama surrounding Tampa Bay concerning the sale of the team</a>, the Rays’ roster has been focused on winning games.</p><p>Despite the team’s success, they are lacking when it comes to the overall talent of their roster. Much of their loss comes because of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-kevin-cash-cryptic-shane-mcclanahan-injury-update">Shane McClanahan’s absence due to nerve problems</a>. Missing their ace has not slowed down the Rays’ pitching staff, but they are much better with the former All-Star than without. He could have a big part to play in Tampa Bay’s plans for the trade market.</p><p>Cash and the Rays front office has expressed a desire to compete this season. 2025 was supposed to be a rebuilding season with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-wander-franco-charged-illegal-gun-possession-amid-sexual-abuse-trial">Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco out for an indefinite period</a> thanks to issues off the field. A good showing against the Tigers could see the Rays take the AL East lead from the New York Yankees.</p><p>McClanahan’s return is unknown, but Tampa Bay is not relying on him to save their season. However, if he is fully healthy when he comes back, he could led the Rays on another deep run in the AL playoffs.</p><p>Tampa Bay have young standouts on their roster, but most of their top players are veterans. Players on the second string of Cash’s roster could be valuable pieces elsewhere, though.</p><p>Here are three players that Tampa Bay should put on the trade block before the deadline.</p><h2>Starting Pitcher Shane McClanahan</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Shane-McClanahan-pitches-against-Yankees.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/1-trade-new-york-mets-must-avoid-making-before-2025-deadline">Shane McClanahan has been deemed a risky option at the trade deadline</a> for contenders. However, there are teams that could decide that the upside is just too great to pass up on. In his three complete seasons as a professional, the 28-year old has won at least 10 games in each. A starter with a career-high ERA of 3.43 is worth kicking the tires on, no matter what his condition is.</p><p>The biggest issue with McClanahan is the nature of his injury. Nerve problems are a big deal with pitchers. If it is severe enough, it could hinder his effectiveness when he returns. At this point in his recovery, there are more questions than answers about the degree of his injury.</p><p>Despite all of that, his contract is almost too good to be true. McClanahan has one year left on his current deal, valued at $3.6 million. For a pitcher of his caliber when healthy, that number is tantalizing for teams looking for a one-year rental option.</p><p>If the Rays choose to move on from McClanahan, they need to make sure that they get an appropriate return, regardless of his injury status.</p><h2>Outfielder Christopher Morel</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Tampa-Bay-Rays-outfielder-Christopher-Morel.jpg"><figcaption>Dave Nelson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Christopher Morel is an interesting player to look at on the trade market. The 25-year-old has logged games in left field and at third base this season for Cash. He was the main piece the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/grading-cubs-rays-blockbuster-isaac-paredes-trade">Rays received in the deal that sent Isaac Paredes to the Chicago Cubs</a> last season. Now, he sits behind Jake Mangum in the outfield and Junior Caminero at third base.</p><p>Despite his limited opportunity in Tampa Bay, Morel has proven that he is a gifted offensive player. His 11 doubles are tied for third on the team, even as a backup. A .225 average at the plate is underwhelming, but an <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/42927/christopher-morel" rel="noopener">OPS of .693</a> is all a contender needs to see to want to give him a chance.</p><p>It is unclear how much Cash and the Rays value Morel. At 25 years old, he could be a part of the young core in Tampa Bay alongside Caminero. On the other hand, he could be moved to net the team a prospect at a position of need instead. He is one of many tough decisions awaiting the Rays as the July 31 deadline inches closer.</p><h2>Shortstop Jose Caballero</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MLB-Tampa-Bay-Rays-at-New-York-Mets.jpg"><figcaption>Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jose Caballero is another example of a player who just isn’t a fit on Cash’s lineup. He can play at shortstop or third base, but is not the top option at either spot when the team is healthy. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-kevin-cash-speaks-out-on-dugout-altercation-during-game-vs-athletics">Caballero’s past conflict with Rays teammates</a> doesn’t do him any favors as Tampa Bay evaluates its roster before the halfway point of the season.</p><p>Caballero’s numbers at the plate are all lower than Morel’s, but his true value comes in the field. The 28-year-old has played in all three outfield spots in 2025, as well as 26 starts at shortstop. Across all of those positions, his DWAR is 0.9. He has been good defender throughout his short career, but it has not been good enough for him to secure a steady starting spot in Tampa Bay.</p><p>Cabellaro’s contract makes him easy to trade for if a team wants to add him as a defensive replacement. However, Cash’s team has been injury-prone throughout the season, so holding on to a versatile defender isn’t such a bad idea. At the end of the day, it will come down to how interest other teams are in trading for him and how much the Rays could get for him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 Rays who must be on trade block ahead of 2025 deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-hunter-bigge-carted-off-105-mph-line-drive');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rays’ Hunter Bigge carted off after getting hit by 105 mph line drive');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Hunter-Bigge.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Rays’ Hunter Bigge carted off after getting hit by 105 mph line drive</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-19T20:42:44-07:00">June 19th, 8:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-19T20:42:44-07:00">June 19th, 8:42pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Tampa Bay Rays were rocked by a terrifying scene Thursday night when relief pitcher Hunter Bigge was struck by a 105 mph foul ball while seated in the dugout. The chilling moment unfolded during the seventh inning of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/tampa-bay-rays/rays-news-historic-comeback-win-orioles">Rays vs. the Baltimore Orioles matchup</a> at George M. Steinbrenner Field, as catcher Adley Rutschman fouled a pitch directly into Tampa Bay’s dugout.</p><p>Bigge, who is currently on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain, was hit squarely in the face and collapsed immediately. The Rays injury halted the game as teammates and opponents alike knelt on the field in visible shock.</p><p>Emergency medical staff responded quickly. After a few tense minutes, Bigge was placed on a stretcher and carted off. He gave a thumbs-up to the crowd as he exited, offering a hopeful sign. The MLB dugout safety debate was immediately reignited.</p><p>Awful Announcing shared the <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1935882536955367599" rel="noopener">stunned stadium atmosphere</a> in a post to X (formerly Twitter), pairing it with a clip of the Orioles’ broadcast team reacting in real time. Kevin Brown called the scene on MASN, while the caption captured the harrowing moment unfolding in Tampa.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Horrible scene in Tampa, as Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was hit in the face by a 105 mph foul ball while in the dugout.</p><p>He was stretchered off the field and gave a thumbs up as he exited.</p><p>Kevin Brown on the Orioles TV call for MASN. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MLB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MLB</a> <a href="https://t.co/FtkaA52oaC">pic.twitter.com/FtkaA52oaC</a></p><p>— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1935882536955367599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Horrible scene in Tampa, as Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was hit in the face by a 105 mph foul ball while in the dugout. He was stretchered off the field and gave a thumbs up as he exited.”</p><p>Another powerful perspective came from a fan in attendance. User <a href="https://x.com/MoveRays2Tampa" rel="noopener">@moveRays2Tampa</a> posted on the platform after recording Bigge’s emotional exit from the <a href="https://x.com/MoveRays2Tampa/status/1935879013785849868" rel="noopener">field</a> below.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bigge has been stretchered off. Bloody face, but ultimately gives the thumb up. Hopefully it’s not too serious. Prayers up for Hunter Bigge🙏🏼 <a href="https://t.co/s8QHd3Q5nF">pic.twitter.com/s8QHd3Q5nF</a></p><p>— RaysUp (@MoveRays2Tampa) <a href="https://twitter.com/MoveRays2Tampa/status/1935879013785849868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Bigge has been stretchered off. Bloody face, but ultimately gives the thumb up. Hopefully it’s not too serious. Prayers up for Hunter Bigge 🙏”</p><p>The injury is yet another reminder of the vulnerabilities players face even when not on the field. While MLB has extended netting for fan safety, dugout protection remains limited. The call to address this gap is growing louder among fans and analysts.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/grading-cubs-rays-blockbuster-isaac-paredes-trade">Bigge, 27, has had a promising start with the Rays</a>, posting a 2.57 ERA over 15 appearances last season. The Harvard graduate and rising bullpen arm was acquired in 2024 from the Chicago Cubs and quickly made his presence felt.</p><p>Thursday’s game resumed after an eight-minute delay, with Baltimore leading 4-1. But the real conversation moving forward will be focused on how the league responds to this incident and what steps can be taken to prevent another player injury like this one.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rays’ Hunter Bigge carted off after getting hit by 105 mph line drive

Zack
Littell

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2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
40	8.10	10	2.10	1

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
40	8.10	10	2.10	1

Zack Littell

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Zack
Littell