Cedric

Mullins

Mullins has not started against any of the last five left-handed pitchers the Rays have faced, and they will face Carlos Rodon and Max Fried on Tuesday, which means it’s unlikely that Mullins starts either game. Jonny DeLuca should continue to take his place in center field, but it’s interesting to note that both Chandler Simpson and Victor Mesa Jr. are in the lineup on Tuesday and have started against the last three lefties. They may both be emerging as full-time players for the Rays.

Mesa Jr. was activated off the injured list on Tuesday and right back in the starting lineup against a lefty. He went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and is right back in there against a right-handed pitcher. Jonny DeLuca started on Tuesday, and Cedric Mullins is starting in center field and batting seventh tonight, so it appears that those two may be in a platoon.

Mullins has occasionally hit eighth against lefties, but this is just the second time this season he’s hit this low against a righty; he hit ninth against one on May 29. Mullins is batting just .207/.285/.353 on 422 plate appearances. He’d probably be a backup by now if Jacob Melton had been able to stay healthy in Triple-A.

There haven’t been any rumblings of any sort of injury, so it looks to be just a routine night off for the 31-year-old outfielder. Jonny DeLuca will start in his place in center field and will bat sixth for the Rays against Logan Gilbert and the Mariners on Friday evening at T-Mobile Park.

A bit of a cheap dinger, Mullins’ homer down the left field line would have gone out of only seven parks and it barely cleared a short porch in Tropicana Field. Mullins has been a rough fantasy proposition, as to get 13 homers and 16 stolen bases, fantasy managers have had to swallow a .202/.279/.356 line. He retains a little deep-league value based on how high he often hits in the order, but that’s about all.

Mullins strolled to the dish in the fifth inning with the game knotted in a scoreless tie and Chandler Simpson at third base with only one out. He dropped down a safety squeeze down the first base line that plated the run and turned into a single, giving Drew Rasmussen and company all of the run support that they would require. The 31-year-old outfielder is slashing .203/.282/.352 with 12 homers, 33 RBI and 16 stolen bases (in 23 attempts) through his first 354 plate appearances with the Rays.

Mullins singled off of Randy Dobnak in the third inning but the Rays couldn’t bring him home. He then got to him for a 385-foot (96.9-mph EV) two-out, two-run blast in the fifth inning that extended the Rays’ lead to 5-1. The 31-year-old outfielder has now homered in three straight games — and four of his last five. For the season, he’s slashing .217/.294/.361 with 10 homers, 29 RBI and 13 stolen bases (in 19 attempts).

Mullins has three homers in four games and six over the last month after hitting three through the end of May. Between his struggles hitting for average and his platoon status, he remains a tough play in mixed leagues. However, nine homers and 13 steals at the midpoint is pretty good.

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.

Mullins’ fourth homer came on only his third barrel of the year. He’s hitting .186/.268/.288 with just a .209 BABIP. Incredibly, though, Statcast doesn’t think he’s been at all the victim of bad luck. Having one of the league’s lowest hard-hit rates and highest flyball rates is just a really bad combination.