Rays lose 3 players to injury, fall to Yankees after long rain delay

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Jul 31, 2025

Published in Baseball

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NEW YORK — July already had been a bad month for the Tampa Bay Rays, and it ended with a long and miserable Thursday.

The Rays fell behind the New York Yankees by seven runs in the first three innings.

They had three key players — Yandy Diaz, Chandler Simpson and All-Star Jonathan Aranda — leave the game with injuries.

They sat through a 2-hour, 45-minute rain delay.

And they lost, for the 18th time this month, this time 7-4.

As the Yankees built a 7-0 lead against Ryan Pepiot, three Rays starting position players were injured.

Diaz was hit on the right forearm by a Marcus Stroman pitch in the first inning. He stayed in to run the bases but left before his turn to hit came up in the fourth. The Rays said he had a right forearm contusion and is day to day.

Simpson grounded out to end the third inning and looked to have some discomfort in his left hand, which must have gotten worse by as he headed to the outfield. Assistant athletic trainer Aaron Scott and manager Kevin Cash went out to check, and Simpson left with them. The Rays said Simpson had a sprain of his left index finger and is day to day.

All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda reached for an errant throw by third baseman Junior Caminero in the fifth, and his left arm was run into by the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton. Aranda went down in obvious pain holding his wrist and left the field with a clear look of frustration.

Pepiot put the Rays in a huge hole, allowing two multirun homers and seven runs total over three innings.

In the first, he allowed a one-out double to Paul Goldschmidt, a single to Cody Bellinger and a homer to Stanton.

In the second, he issued back to back one-out walks, then a three-run homer to Ben Rice.

In the third, he allowed a one-out walk, a single and a fielder’s choice grounder that made it 7-0.

For the day, Pepiot worked only four innings, allowing the seven runs on six hits and three walks, throwing 88 pitches to get 12 outs.

The Rays did rally back with four runs in their half of the fourth.

Brandon Lowe singled, Christoper Morel (pinch-hitting for Diaz) doubled, Aranda singled in a run, Caminero delivered a sacrifice fly, Josh Lowe reached on a fielder’s choice grounder and stole second, Jonny DeLuca singled in the third run and Taylor Walls doubled in the fourth.

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