TAMPA, Fla. — When the Rays tell you they plan on getting the most out of every spot on the 40-man roster, you might want to believe them.

A little more than a week ago, Jake Mangum, Kameron Misner and Hunter Bigge were waiting for the season to begin in Triple-A Durham.

On Monday night at Steinbrenner Field, all three played key roles in a 6-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Mangum got his first-big league hit in the third inning and then followed with three more, along with two stolen bases, two RBIs and a run scored. Misner added an RBI double and Bigge pitched two perfect innings in relief.

All three were recalled following injuries in the big-league camp in the final week of spring training as well as opening day. Bigge took the roster spot of Shane McClanahan, Misner came up for Richie Palacios and Mangum arrived after Josh Lowe pulled an oblique muscle on Friday.

Of course, they were not the only contributors on Monday night.

Drew Rasmussen threw five shutout innings in his longest outing since May 2023. Rasmussen underwent elbow surgery later that summer and returned in 2024 in a bullpen role.

Walk this way

We saw a rarity in Monday night’s game, although few people probably realized it. Jose Caballero, who is one of the more aggressive hitters at the plate, drew walks in his first two plate appearances. The last time he got two walks in the same game was May 5 last year, a span of 369 plate appearances.

This is good, right?

So, if you take out a handful of games as an opener in 2021 and 2024, Rasmussen has started 45 times in the rotation. The Rays are 30-15 in those games.

Tuesday: vs. Pirates

7:05 p.m. ET, Steinbrenner Field, Tampa

TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3 FM, 620 AM

Pitchers: Rays — RH Shane Baz (4-3, 3.06 in 2024); Pirates — TBA

On deck

Wednesday: vs. Pirates, 1:10 p.m. Rays, RH Ryan Pepiot (0-0, 1.50); Pirates, RH Paul Skenes (0-0, 3.38)

Thursday: Off

Friday: at Rangers, 8:05 p.m. Rays, RH Zack Littell (0-1, 1.50); Rangers, TBA.

Saturday: at Rangers, 7:05 p.m. Rays, RH Taj Bradley (1-0, 3.00); Rangers, TBA

Sunday: at Rangers, 2:35 p.m. Rays, RH Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 0.00); Rangers, TBA

Rays injured list

— RHP Alex Faedo (15-day, right shoulder inflammation)

— INF Ha-Seong Kim (10-day, right shoulder surgery recovery)

— LHP Nathan Lavender (60-day, left shoulder surgery recovery)

— OF Josh Lowe (10-day, right oblique strain)

— LHP Shane McClanahan (15-day, left triceps nerve-related issue)

— INF/OF Richie Palacios (10-day, right ring finger fracture)

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