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Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees Game 1

Tue Sep 221:05 PM ETBronx, NY
By JR·2 min read
Tampa Bay RaysTB(95-60)
New York YankeesNYY(89-66)
AT
1:05 PM ET

TLDR: Two AL East clubs that have already punched their playoff tickets open a Bronx doubleheader with the standings mostly settled and the health questions doing most of the talking.

TUE SEP 22, 1:05 PM
Spread
WIN
Total
Rays
(95-60)
WWLWW
Yankees
(89-66)
LLWLW
1st pitch65°

Tampa Bay carries the American League's best record and an already-clinched playoff spot into a Bronx doubleheader opener against a Yankees club that clinched its own spot but is now without Aaron Judge for the stretch run. Both rotations are still sorting out who starts Game 1, and the state of each pitching staff — Tampa Bay's thinned bullpen, New York's lineup without Judge — looms larger right now than the standings do.

Rays
  • Best record in the AL for most of September
  • Clinched a playoff berth Sept. 11
  • Closer Baker has a 1.54 ERA, 40 saves
  • Lost most recent game to Boston
  • McClanahan and Pepiot both out of the rotation
  • 3 relievers currently on the injured list
Yankees
  • Clinched a playoff spot beating Minnesota
  • Won 4 of last 5 games
  • Chisholm could return from IL this homestand
  • Aaron Judge likely done for the regular season
  • Weathers (forearm) may not pitch again this year
  • Stanton has missed the entire season on IL

Tuesday, September 22's series opener is Game 1 of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, with first pitch set for 1:05 PM ET. Neither club has announced a starter for the opener, and with injuries stacking up on both pitching staffs, that's not a trivial detail — this is shaping up as a matchup about who has arms left standing more than who has the better lineup on paper.

Nick Martinez
Nick Martinez
(15-4)·2.94 ERA
Sep 16 vs Athletics
W
5.0IP
2ER
3K
0BB
72P
Carlos Rodón
Carlos Rodón
(6-3)·2.95 ERA
Sep 16 @ Twins
ND
6.0IP
2ER
5K
3BB
102P

New York's stretch-run picture got tougher this week. Aaron Judge left a game against Minnesota with lower-leg tightness and is now headed to the injured list with a right calf strain that could keep him out for the rest of the regular season. That's a real subtraction from a lineup that's still won 4 of its last 5 games, including wins over the Mets and Diamondbacks.

Tampa Bay has its own attrition to manage heading into the Bronx. The Rays clinched a playoff berth on September 11 and have carried the American League's best record for most of the month, but 3 different relievers are currently dealing with injuries, and manager Kevin Cash has already had to lean on prospects like Alex Cook and Brody Hopkins to cover high-leverage innings.

Tampa Bay Rays
(95-60)
09/20WvsRed Sox5-1
09/19WvsRed Sox2-1
09/18LvsRed Sox2-4
09/17WvsAthletics10-1
09/16WvsAthletics4-3
New York Yankees
(89-66)
09/20L@Diamondbacks4-8
09/19L@Diamondbacks3-5
09/18W@Diamondbacks9-2
09/16L@Twins4-5
09/15W@Twins8-1

None of that has stopped either club from playing good baseball lately. The Rays are 4-1 in their last 5 and just swept a 3-game set from the Athletics before dropping their most recent game to Boston, while the Yankees have won 4 of their own last 5 and clinched their own spot with a win over the Twins. Ryan Pepiot won't be part of Tampa Bay's stretch run at all — he's done for the season after hip surgery back in May.

Tampa Bay Rays
(8)
  • 15-Day-ILNewShane McClanahan (SP) — McClanahan (forearm) will not return before the conclusion of the regular season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.09/21
  • 15-Day-ILGarrett Cleavinger (RP) — Cleavinger (forearm) is expected to resume mound work Saturday, MLB.com reports.09/19
  • 15-Day-ILTyler Wells (RP) — The Rays placed Wells on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right forearm tightness.09/15
  • 15-Day-ILManuel Rodriguez (RP) — Rodriguez (back) is expected to join Triple-A Durham for a rehab assignment Sunday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.09/12
  • 60-Day-ILGavin Lux (LF) — Lux (shoulder) has resumed full baseball activity, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.09/11
  • 60-Day-ILEdwin Uceta (RP) — Uceta (shoulder) is playing catch from 75 feet, per MLB.com.08/15
  • 60-Day-ILJonathan Heasley (RP) — Heasley was returned to the major-league roster and placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow stress reaction.06/08
  • 60-Day-ILRyan Pepiot (SP) — Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/08
New York Yankees
(7)
  • 10-Day-ILTrent Grisham (CF) — Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Grisham (hamstring) isn't expected to come off the injured list before the end of the regular season but could return for the playoffs, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.09/20
  • 10-Day-ILJazz Chisholm Jr. (2B) — Manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Chisholm (thumb) could be reinstated from the injured list as early as Tuesday, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports.09/20
  • 10-Day-ILAaron Judge (RF) — Judge said Saturday that he didn't know the grade of his calf strain, Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News reports. "I gotta talk to the trainers and figure that out," Judge said.09/20
  • 15-Day-ILRyan Weathers (SP) — Manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Weathers (forearm) likely won't return in time to pitch again in the regular season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.09/19
  • 15-Day-ILFernando Cruz (RP) — Cruz (elbow) expects to resume a throwing program by the end of this week, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.09/08
  • 60-Day-ILKervin Castro (RP) — The Yankees transferred Castro (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.08/26
  • 60-Day-ILGiancarlo Stanton (DH) — The Yankees transferred Stanton (calf) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.08/25

With the standings largely decided for both sides, this doubleheader in the Bronx is shaping up as a proving ground for who's healthiest down the stretch. Rain in the forecast and a cool 57°F reading at Yankee Stadium won't make things any easier on either bullpen.

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