Two Tampa Bay Rays players were forced to leave Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers due to separate injuries that sidelined key members of their lineup.
Shortstop Taylor Walls departed in the bottom of the third inning because of tightness in his left hamstring, with team officials describing his removal as a precautionary decision. Walls had not yet stepped into the batter’s box for his first plate appearance when he was pulled from the contest. The infielder had previously dealt with hamstring problems last week that caused him to miss a pair of games.
Oliver Dunn came in as a pinch-hitter for Walls during the third frame and assumed shortstop duties in the fourth inning. Ben Williamson later entered the game to replace Dunn.
During the fourth inning, Simpson encountered an unfortunate mishap while attempting to steal a base.
Simpson was running from first to second base when Detroit pitcher Ty Madden delivered a wild pitch. However, Simpson’s helmet came loose, bounced off the ground, and struck him in the mouth as he slid headfirst into the bag. Medical staff could not immediately determine if the impact damaged his teeth or caused a lip laceration.
Ryan Vilade entered as a pinch-runner for Simpson and remained in the game to cover left field.
Simpson brings significant speed to the Rays’ offense, having swiped 14 bases this season following his impressive 44 stolen bases during his first year in the majors. The outfielder also leads the American League with four triples this season. His performance on Monday, going 1-for-2 at the plate, maintains his .284 batting average.
Walls carries a .208 batting average across 44 games this year in his sixth season with the Tampa Bay organization.
