Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Yandy Diaz had to exit Sunday’s 5-1 victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks after suffering a left shoulder strain, though he believes the injury won’t keep him out of the lineup for long.
Diaz, who leads the American League with a .336 batting average, appeared to hurt his shoulder during a lengthy 10-pitch at-bat against pitcher Merrill Kelly in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. After fouling off a pitch, he showed visible signs of discomfort, prompting manager Kevin Cash and head athletic trainer Joe Benge to come out and check on him.
He managed to finish the at-bat, grounding out to shortstop, though he still appeared to be in pain as he jogged toward first base. He eventually left the dugout alongside Benge, and Richie Palacios stepped in as a pinch-hitter at the start of the seventh inning.
“I’m not going to lie. I’m hurting a little bit,” Diaz said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. “But it’s stuff that I’ve managed, and we’ve got to keep at it and keep going day to day and take it a game at a time and keep moving forward.”
Cash noted that Diaz has been dealing with shoulder discomfort for “five years, probably,” and that the issue can flare up when he swings or slides. Diaz acknowledged that he feels it even when simply raising his arm, but said he has handled similar problems before and is confident in his ability to push through.
“I’ve done everything. Honestly, I’ve even played a little bit while hurting,” Diaz said. “Look, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve got to keep doing. I’ve done this in the past. I feel really good about this moving forward.”
Diaz is currently listed as day-to-day. Tampa Bay has a scheduled off-day on Monday, which gives him a bit of extra time to recover before the Rays open a series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.
“I feel like I’ll be ready,” Diaz said.
The slugger went 1-for-2 on Tuesday, bumping his AL-best average from .334 to .336. Through 78 games this season, he has posted 12 home runs, 53 RBIs, and a .932 OPS for Tampa Bay.
