Chandler Simpson swipes 20th bag in win Thursday

Simpson missed each of the team’s previous two games due to a sore finger that he suffered when jamming his hand into second base on a stolen base attempt. The 25-year-old speedster is starting in left field and batting fifth for the Rays on Sunday afternoon in Houston against Astros right-hander Peter Lambert.

Simpson remains stapled to Tampa Bay’s bench after being scratched from the lineup for Friday’s game against the Astros due to right finger soreness. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters the move was merely precautionary after Simpson jammed his fingers sliding into second base earlier this week. He’s day-to-day heading into the final two games of a series against the Astros this weekend.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night of rest for the speedy 25-year-old outfielder. Victor Mesa Jr. will start in his place in left field and bat seventh for the Rays against Zac Gallen and the Diamondbacks.

Simpson went without a steal from May 11 through June 19, but he’s now stolen a base in back-to-back games. His fantasy profile, which includes zero power or RBI upside, relies on him running at a higher clip than other top base-stealers to make up for it. He was removed from the leadoff role against righties toward the beginning of June, but he could reclaim it if he gets hot on the bases.

Simpson is now hitting .259 after batting .295 as a rookie in 2025. Worse, he hasn’t stolen a base since May 11. A minor leg injury around that time could be a contributing factor, but he’s well off the fantasy radar if he isn’t running. Simpson remains without a home run through 715 big-league plate appearances, and he has just one since turning pro, which was of the inside-the-park variety as a minor leaguer.

Simpson takes a seat with lefty-masher Ryan Vilade getting the nod to face southpaw Eric Lauer, who gets the ball for Los Angeles to kick off a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. The 25-year-old speedster has started just four of six games since missing time last week with a lingering thumb issue.

Yandy Díaz is leading off for a seventh straight game. It’s the first time in six days that the Rays have faced a righty. Simpson was mostly leading off against righties before getting hurt last weekend and missing a few games. In three games versus lefties since, he hit third Tuesday, didn’t start Wednesday and batted seventh on Friday. As for Mullins, it’s his first time hitting in the top third of the order since May 2 and just the fourth time he’s done so this season. Mullins, who is batting in between Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero tonight, is hitting .200/.355/.560 with three homers in nine games this month.

Simpson returned on Tuesday after missing three days off and went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. His lingering thumb injury may be why he’s being held out of the lineup on Wednesday, but the Red Sox are also throwing yet another left-handed pitcher. Austin Slater will make his third straight start in the outfield, and Ryan Vilade will make his fourth straight start, batting cleanup and playing left field.

Simpson looked a bit rusty following a three-game layoff due to a lingering thumb issue. The 25-year-old speedster managed to avoid a potential trip to the injured list and shouldn’t require any additional time off.