Tampa Bay

Rays

Williamson put Tampa Bay ahead for good with a 103.4 mph double into the left-center field gap with two outs in the fourth inning. The 25-year-old has put together a strong Rays debut, hitting .263/.344/.328 with 18 RBI and five steals through 48 games. He doesn’t offer enough upside to matter in most fantasy leagues, but he’s been a nice addition as a role player in Tampa Bay.

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.

Baker got the call to protect a lead for the second consecutive game in the series and needed just 13 pitches (seven strikes) to eliminate any hope of a Boston rally. The unheralded 31-year-old has converted 18 of 21 save opportunities this season and has reeled off nine consecutive scoreless appearances dating back to May 17. He’s been one of the most impactful early-season waiver wire pickups in fantasy.

Martinez wasn’t overpowering, but was once again extremely efficient, working into the eighth inning before being pulled at just 73 pitches (49 strikes). The year-old veteran surrendered a run-scoring single to Jarren Duran in the third inning, but held Boston scoreless until a two-run double from Marcelo Mayer in the eighth that chased him from the contest. It was a nice bounce-back effort after being tagged for a season-high six runs over four innings by the Tigers in his previous start. He boasts a sparkling 2.43 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 44/13 K/BB ratio across 77 2/3 innings this season. He’ll face a tough test with a road tilt against the Dodgers on Monday.

Aranda has been a constant for Tampa Bay in 2026, but the 28-year-old will get a rare breather against southpaw Payton Tolle on Tuesday. Ryan Vilade will get the start at first base and hit cleanup while Aranda rests.

Simpson missed three straight games while dealing with a thumb bruise, but the 25-year-old is back in the middle of the lineup against southpaw Payton Tolle and the Boston bullpen.

Díaz greeted Red Sox lefty Connelly Early with a leadoff homer before tacking on a key insurance run with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly. It was his 12th long ball of the season. The 34-year-old on-base machine has put together one of the strongest stretches of his career recently, hitting .319 (37-for-116) with eight homers and 24 RBI over his last 30 games. He’s hitting .429 (12-for-28) over his last seven games alone.

Baker was summoned to guard a two-run advantage in the final frame and needed just 12 pitches (11 strikes) to get the job done. Things got interesting when Wilyer Abreu delivered a one-out single that brought the potential tying run to the plate. However, Baker managed to strike out Willson Contreras and coax a game-ending ground ball from Mickey Gasper to extinguish the threat. He’s the undisputed closer in Tampa Bay right now, having converted 17 of 20 save opportunities this season.

Seymour needed just 55 pitches to navigate four frames after entering Tampa Bay’s starting rotation in place of an ineffective Steven Matz. The 27-year-old lefty didn’t stick around long enough to qualify for a win, but he limited Boston’s offense to just a solo homer by Marcelo Mayer. He struck out five and only issued one walk. There’s some definite streaming appeal when he takes the ball against the Angels on Sunday.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters Simpson will receive another full day off to address a lingering thumb bruise that he’s been dealing with since last week. The 25-year-old speedster is available off the bench. The hope is that the additional rest puts the ailment to bed. Austin Slater gets the nod in left field to face Red Sox lefty Connelly Early on Monday night with Simpson missing his third straight game.