The Rays announced today that outfielder Jake Mangum has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left groin strain. Infielder Coco Montes has been recalled from Triple-A Durham as the corresponding move.
It’s an unfortunate blow for the Rays. Mangum came into this season with no major league experience but is currently sporting a strong line of .338/.384/.397 in his first 73 plate appearances. Losing that production would be unwelcome at any time but it’s especially tough for the Rays given their other outfield injuries. Mangum joins Josh Lowe, Jonny DeLuca and Richie Palacios on the IL.
For now, the Rays are left with an outfield mix consisting of Chandler Simpson, Kameron Misner, Christopher Morel and José Caballero. Simpson and Misner each have less than 30 games of major league experience while Morel and Caballero have more experience in the outfield than the infield.
Some more notes from around the American League…
- Twins infielder Royce Lewis is on the IL with a hamstring strain but will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Saint Paul tomorrow, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic. That’s good news for the Twins since they’ve been hit hard by injuries, particularly on the infield. Willi Castro joined Lewis on the IL earlier today. José Miranda and Austin Martin are both injured in the minors. Carlos Correa has also been dealing with a wrist issue, though he has not landed on the IL. Getting Lewis back into the mix would be a nice boost for a club that is floundering. They lost today’s game to the White Sox to fall to 9-16.
- Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase hasn’t quite been himself lately and it might be because he’s not 100% healthy. Manager Stephen Vogt recently told Zack Meisel of The Athletic that Clase had some shoulder discomfort on Sunday. He has a 7.84 earned run average this year, which is miles away from the 0.61 ERA he posted last year. His strikeout, walk and ground ball rates have all moved in the wrong direction. The shoulder issue perhaps provides an explanation for his struggles but obviously raises the question of what comes next and whether he can get back on track.