Ryan

Vilade

Mesa’s setback last night will shelve him for at least 10 days. Ryan Vilade and Jonny DeLuca will get extra starts against righties while Mesa is out.

Vilade opened the scoring in the ballgame with a 441-foot (106.9-mph EV) solo shot in the fourth inning. He also doubled and scored the Rays’ only other run on an RBI single by Jorge Mateo in the sixth. With his three-hit attack, Vilade is now slashing .256/.318/.478 with 10 homers and 36 RBI on the season.

Ryan Vilade gets an opportunity to face lefty Noah Schultz once opener Jordan Hicks departs. Aranda has been struggling recently, hitting .182 (10-for-55) with one extra-base hit in 14 games since the All-Star break. It’ll be a different-looking Tampa Bay lineup in this one with speedster Chandler Simpson hitting second behind Yandy Díaz.

It’s nothing more than a routine day of rest for the 28-year-old slugger with tough left-hander Parker Messick toeing the slab for the Guardians. Ryan Vilade will cover first base in his absence and will bat second for the Rays on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

Vilade entered the game as a pinch-hitter with two runners on and two outs in the seventh inning to face left-handed Gabe Speier. He came through for the Rays with a three-run blast to extend the lead with his seventh homer of the season. The 27-year-old has been limited to playing time against left-handed pitching, slashing .261/.323/.471 with 31 RBI across 156 plate appearances.

Díaz will take a break against tough right-hander Hunter Brown for Saturday’s game. Ryan Vilade will get the start at first base and hit cleanup in Díaz’s absence

Vilade’s sixth homer of the season was a solo shot off Noah Cameron in the third inning; one of two homers the Rays hit in the frame off Cameron. The former second-round selection has been an impressive reclamation product for Tampa Bay, and he’s clobbered left-handed pitching as the latest platoon bat for a team that deploys them more than anyone. Vilade also drew a walk, and it improves his slash to a very solid .278/.343/.484.

Vilade’s roster spot might have been in jeopardy earlier this season if not for the Rays’ injuries, but he’s now up to .299/.361/.477 with a rather incredible 25 RBI while starting mostly against lefties. He’s fourth on the Rays in RBI and 11th with his 123 plate appearances.

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.

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.