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Junior Caminero stays in Game 1 after collision

Junior Caminero

TB 3rd Baseman #13

Player Stats

Junior Caminero delivered an RBI single in a loss to the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday.

Caminero slapped an RBI single into left field to give Tampa Bay an early advantage, but they were unable to hang on in the opener of a best-of-seven series. The big concern for the Rays moving forward is Caminero’s health after he somehow managed to remain in the contest following a massive collision with teammate Jonny DeLuca down the left-field line in the ninth inning. It looked like DeLuca got the worst of it, but the primary point of contact was Caminero’s left shoulder and ribcage. Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters afterwards that he got the wind knocked out of him and seems to be completely fine. All signs point to Caminero being ready for Tuesday’s Game 2 showdown at Tropicana Field.

- George Bissell

Recap

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Yordan Alvarez

HOU Designated Hitter #44

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Yordan Alvarez, Junior Caminero and Bobby Witt Jr. were named finalists for the American League MVP Award.

The Alvarez versus Caminero debate was a scorching and divisive one for most of the summer, but Houston’s middle-of-the-order force seemingly did enough to hold off Tampa Bay’s rising superstar. Alvarez led the majors in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, slashing .316/.432/.601 with 105 runs scored, a career-high 42 home runs and 106 RBI across 158 games. Caminero topped the 40-home run mark for the second consecutive season, leading the Rays to a remarkable 98-win season and another AL East division title.
Junior Caminero

TB 3rd Baseman #13

Junior Caminero is starting at third base in Game 5 of the World Series.

Caminero seemed to be struggling with a foot issue before being lifted for a pinch-runner in the 12th inning Tuesday, but manager Kevin Cash said afterwards that it was nothing that would affect his availability. Caminero is batting third tonight.
Junior Caminero

TB 3rd Baseman #13

Rays manager Kevin Cash said after Tuesday’s game that Junior Caminero was fine after exiting for a pinch-runner in the 12th.

He didn’t seem fine, and Caminero himself indicated that there was a foot issue, though he was adamant that he’d play Wednesday. Caminero came up lame while trying to beat out a grounder on Joey Ortiz’s error in the 12th and stayed in to run to third on a single before being replaced by Cedric Mullins.
Ben Williamson

TB 2nd Baseman #15

Ben Williamson will start at second base and bat eighth for the Rays in Game 1 of the World Series against the Brewers on Friday evening.

Williamson has been functioning in a short-side platoon role with nearly all of his starts coming against left-handers, so it’s interesting to see him in there against Brewers’ ace Jacob Misiorowski for Game 1. Here’s the full lineup that manager Kevin Cash will deploy as the Rays look to secure the first World Series title in their franchise’s history: Yandy Díaz (DH), Jonathan Aranda (1B), Chandler Simpson (LF), Junior Caminero (3B), Liam Hicks (C), Jonny DeLuca (CF), Victor Mesa Jr. (RF), Ben Williamson (2B) and Taylor Walls (SS).
Junior Caminero

TB 3rd Baseman #13

Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer as the Rays beat the Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the ALCS on Monday.

The Rays advance to their third-ever trip to the World Series with the win. Caminero took Cade Smith deep off the pole with a runner on, and it gave the 23-year-old slugger his first homer of the postseason after he walloped 42 of them in the regular campaign. He seemed to enjoy it, as it took him nearly 40 seconds to round the bases. Let the kids play. The 23-year-old also singled and walked to improve his playoff OPS to .814 over his nine postseason games. Caminero and the Rays will begin the Fall Classic against the Brewers on Friday, and both organizations will have a chance to win their first-ever championship.
Ryan Vilade

TB Right Fielder #26

Ryan Vilade and Ben Williamson have joined the Rays’ starting lineup for Game 5 of the ALCS against the Guardians.

With left-hander Parker Messick on the mound for the Guardians in Game 5, the Rays will change things up with Vilade starting in right field and batting third while Williamson takes over at second base and will bat eighth. Here’s the full lineup that Rays’ skipper Kevin Cash will deploy as the Rays look to take control of the ALCS on Sunday: Yandy Díaz (DH), Jonathan Aranda (1B), Ryan Vilade (RF), Junior Caminero (3B), Chandler Simpson (LF), Jonny DeLuca (CF), Liam Hicks (C), Ben Williamson (2B) and Taylor Walls (SS).
Chandler Simpson

TB Left Fielder #14

Chandler Simpson will bat third for the Rays in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Guardians on Friday evening.

The Rays will utilize the same starting nine that they used in Thursday’s loss in Game 3, but the batting order has changed. Simpson moves up from fifth to third while Junior Caminero slides into the cleanup spot. Here’s the full lineup that the Rays will deploy against Shawn Armstrong and a host of Guardians’ relievers: Yandy Diaz (DH), Jonathan Aranda (1B), Simpson (LF), Junior Caminero (3B), Liam Hicks (C), Victor Mesa Jr. (RF), Jonny DeLuca (CF), Richie Palacios (2B) and Taylor Walls (SS).
Junior Caminero

TB 3rd Baseman #13

Junior Caminero went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a loss to the Guardians in Game 3 of the ALCS.

It was a tough day for Caminero, who was struck out by Gavin Williams, Daniel Espino, and Cade Smith. The Rays’ third baseman has enjoyed a solid postseason but is just 2-for-11 in the first three games of this series with a 7/1 K/BB ratio. He’ll need to adjust to how the Guardians are pitching him if the Rays have any hope of advancing to the World Series.
Ryan Vilade

TB Right Fielder #26

Ryan Vilade is in left field and hitting cleanup for Game 1 of the ALCS against the Guardians on Monday.

Vilade posted an .818 OPS against southpaws during the regular season and will get a chance to face Guardians starter Foster Griffin at Tropicana Field to kick off the best-of-seven showdown. The 27-year-old lefty-masher blasted a solo homer off Yankees ace Max Fried during Tampa Bay’s series-clinching victory last week. Here’s the full lineup: Yandy Díaz (DH), Jonathan Aranda (1B), Junior Caminero (3B), Vilade (LF), Victor Mesa Jr. (RF), Jonny DeLuca (CF), Ben Williamson (2B), Taylor Walls (SS) and Nick Fortes (C).
Junior Caminero

TB 3rd Baseman #13

Junior Caminero is at third base and hitting third for Game 2 of the ALDS against the Yankees on Monday.

Rays manager Kevin Cash isn’t making any changes following a series-opening victory where Jonathan Aranda’s solo homer was enough for a nearly-flawless Drew Rasmussen, who took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning. Caminero, who is likely to finish near the top of AL MVP Award balloting, finished a phenomenal regular season with 42 home runs, reaching the lofty 40-homer plateau for the second straight season. Here’s the full lineup: Yandy Díaz (DH), Jonathan Aranda (1B), Junior Caminero (3B), Liam Hicks (C), Chandler Simpson (LF), Victor Mesa Jr. (RF), Jonny DeLuca (CF), Richie Palacios (2B) and Taylor Walls (SS).

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Mitch Keller

PIT Starting Pitcher #23
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Mitch Keller is expected to have a normal offseason after missing the final two months with a Grade 3 teres major muscle strain.

Keller saw his ERA jump to 5.29 and his strikeout rate shrink to 18 percent in 22 starts before going on the IL last season. It’s the fourth straight year that his ERA has been over 4.00, and the third straight in which his strikeout rate has declined. The Pirates are hopeful he’ll turn things around as he enters the fourth year of a five-year, $77 million contract, but it just doesn’t seem like that’s a lot to be optimistic about.
- Matthew Pouliot

Injury

Source: MLB.com

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Emilio Pagán

FA Relief Pitcher #15
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The Tigers and Emilio Pagán are in agreement on a one-year deal worth about $11 million, sources told the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

Pagán, who has a 3.07 ERA and 57 saves the last two years, gets a slight raise after turning down a $10 million player option to stay with the Reds. He steps in as the current favorite to save for the Tigers, though it certainly sounded like they intended to add more than one reliever.
- Matthew Pouliot

Source: Jon Heyman
Detroit Tigers
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Carlos Lagrange

NYY Starting Pitcher
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The Yankees intend to return Carlos Lagrange to the rotation to begin next season.

The hard-throwing Lagrange was moved to the pen in Triple-A in June in the hopes that he could help as a reliever in the second half, but he went down in a shoulder sprain at the beginning of July and returned for just one appearance in September. Control issues make him a big question mark as a starter, but he is a big-time talent. The Yankees could always shift him back to the pen if he fails to progress.
- Matthew Pouliot

Source: Gary Phillips

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Ryan Weiss

SD Starting Pitcher #51
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Padres signed RHP Ryan Weiss to a one-year deal with a 2028 club option.

Weiss had his $5 million club option declined by the Astros at the end of October, and he didn’t take long to find a new club. The right-hander was atrocious in 2026 with a 7.62 ERA and 30/20 K/BB ratio over 26 innings before being designated for assignment. He’ll likely be handed a middle-inning role to begin 2027, but it’s worth noting that Bass does have an option left so he’s not a lock to make San Diego out of spring training.
- Christopher Crawford

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Randy Rodríguez

SF Relief Pitcher #73
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Randy Rodríguez experienced some elbow pain in the Arizona Fall League, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said Tuesday.

So, there was a little more to the Giants shutting down Rodríguez after three appearances in his return from Tommy John surgery. It also explains why Posey doesn’t want to count on Rodríguez as a closer to begin next year. It sounds like the Giants remain optimistic that Rodríguez will be ready to go in the spring.
- Matthew Pouliot

Injury

Source: Maria I. Guardado

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Troy Watson

FA Starting Pitcher
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Troy Watson has signed with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO.

He’ll get a $700,000 salary with a $300,000 signing bonus. Watson, 29, was added to a 40-man roster for the first time in July, when the Tigers opted to protect him instead of letting him leave for an opportunity elsewhere. However, they never called him up afterwards, and neither did the Mariners after they claimed him off waivers in August. He ended up with a 3.14 ERA in 80 1/3 innings in the minors, and the Mariners outrighted him earlier this month, clearing the way for his move to Asia.
- Matthew Pouliot

Source: Ball Players Agency

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Aaron Judge

NYY Right Fielder #99
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Yankees GM Brian Cashman acknowledged that Aaron Judge will probably need more DH days going forward.

Judge was limited to 66 games last season, is losing range in right field and is turning 35 in April, so, yeah, it’s probably time for the Yankees to start DHing him at least once a week or so. The Yankees are looking at getting Giancarlo Stanton back next season, but it’s hard to pencil him in at this point. They finished last season with Luis García Jr. at first base and Ben Rice at DH against righties. If Stanton is out of the picture, they could go with Judge at DH and Heliot Ramos in right field versus lefties next year.
- Matthew Pouliot

Source: Chris Kirschner
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Dylan Crews

WSH Right Fielder #3
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The Nationals are receiving trade interest in both Dylan Crews and Daylen Lile, according to The Athletic’s Spencer Nusbaum.

Jacob Young is off the table after agreeing to a contract extension, so now that league is after the Nationals’ younger outfielders. Crews is more likely than Lile to be traded, and it helps his value that there just aren’t many quality right-handed-hitting outfielders available in free agency. The Nationals can give James Wood and Lile time at DH, so they don’t need to move an outfielder, but they’re always on the lookout for more young pitching.
- Matthew Pouliot

Source: The Athletic
Daylen Lile
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

TOR 1st Baseman #27
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Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has met with the Blue Jays’ strength and conditioning staff and hitting staff to set up an offseason plan following his down season.

He is “fired up and on a mission,” according to the general manager. Atkins, though, did say that he didn’t see Guerrero’s recent LASIK surgery being a big deal going forward, calling it a comfort decision on Vlad’s behalf that wouldn’t significantly improve his eyesight.
- Matthew Pouliot

Source: The Athletic

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Willy Adames

SF Shortstop #2
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The Blue Jays have internally discussed pursuing a deal for Willy Adames, according to The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon.

Adames has five years and $140 million left on his deal, and the Jays will certainly expect the Giants to eat a portion of that if they pursue a deal. Adames also has a full no-trade clause, so he controls his own destiny. We assume he’d be more of a fallback possibility for Toronto if some other middle infield options don’t work out.
- Matthew Pouliot

Source: The Athletic
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