Meadows gets the call for the final two weeks of the season.
As the Rays head to Toronto today for a four-game trip to round out their road slate of games in 2018, OF Austin Meadows will make his team debut. The Rays also called up a few arms to beef up their bullpen. RHP Austin Pruitt and RHP Chih-Wei Hu were also recalled along with LHP Hoby Milner.
Meadows, 23, came to the Rays from Pittsburgh in the trade that sent RHP Chris Archer to the Pirates at the deadline. He had played in 49 games with the Pirates this season hitting .292/.327/.468 with 5 HR and 13 RBI. He tore up AAA Durham after coming to the Rays. In 27 games with the Bulls, he crushed 10 HR, drove in 22, and slashed a crazy .344/.396/.771 with an absurd 1.167 OPS.
Bullpen gets some relief
Hu has appeared in 3 games with the Rays this season. He has pitched in 10 innings with a 5.40 ERA.
Pruitt is the most experienced of the call-ups. In 20 games this season with the big league club, he’s pitched in 20 games with a 2-3 record and a 4.80 ERA over 60 innings.
Milner, who came to the Rays on July 15 in a trade with the Phillies for cash considerations has appeared in two games for the MLB squad and 12 overall in 2018. In those 12 games between Tampa and Philly, he’s struggled. Over six innings of work he has a 7.50 ERA. His career numbers are promising. Through 49 MLB ballgames he has an impressive 2.89 ERA in 37.1 innings.
Within striking distance?
With 11 games remaining the Rays enter Thursday 5.5 back of Oakland for the final AL wild card. Seven of the Rays remaining 11 games are against the 69-83 Blue Jays with a four-game series against the Yankees sandwiched between.
The Athletics finish off the Angels today at home before hosting the Twins. Then they finish the season in Seattle and then three against the Angels in LA to close out the regular season.
This is what baseball is all about, folks. The final two weeks. Multiple teams in the hunt. Magic always seems to find the Rays every few years. Can the baseball Gods throw some of that 2011 magic their way?
Hold onto your ball caps, fans.
This is gonna be good.
