Beatline Rays - Daily Podcast On The Tampa Bay Rays
Sep 23, 2026 · 10 min · 9 segments
☕ **Enjoying the show?** Keep every episode free → https://buymeacoffee.com/beatlinesports The Tampa Bay Rays (96-61) face the New York Yankees (90-67) on…
[static] Okay, Eric, let's start with the big picture.
The Rays are 96 to 61, sitting first in the AL East.
The Yankees are 90 to 67, second in the East.
Yesterday they split that double header.
Rasmussen was electric in the nightcap, but Rodón was nearly untouchable in the day game opener.
Who do you see starting tonight and why?
[drum roll] Well, Danielle, when you look at the available arms, the Rays have some interesting options.
Freddy Peralta had a rough outing recently, and while he's talented, you might wanna rest him heading into October.
Given the Yankees' lineup, I'd expect the Rays to go with someone who can manage pitch counts efficiently.
If they wanna protect their starters for the playoffs, they might lean on a veteran presence like Matz or give more innings to someone like Nick Martinez, who we talked about yesterday as a crucial piece.
Right, and remember, Clark Schmidt is day-to-day for the Yankees, which means their rotation isn't exactly pristine either.
But for Tampa Bay, the injury list is staggering.
We know Fernando Cruz, Ryan Weathers, Manuel Rodriguez, and Garrett Clevinger are all on the 15-day IL.
How does that impact your view of tonight's starter?
It forces the Rays to be incredibly careful with their remaining healthy arms.
If they burn through their top three options too early, they risk having no one left for the final week of the regular season.
I think they'll try to get six solid innings from whoever starts tonight.
He knows how to navigate high leverage situations.
But if they go younger, like Brody Hopkins, there's a higher variance.
The Rays have been managing their rotation brilliantly all year, but this injury situation is testing their depth more than any other team in baseball right now.
He's coming off that huge win where he struck out 11 and kept the no-hitter going until the seventh.
[static] Okay, Eric, let's start with the big picture.
The Rays are 96 to 61, sitting first in the AL East.
The Yankees are 90 to 67, second in the East.
Yesterday they split that double header.
Rasmussen was electric in the nightcap, but Rodón was nearly untouchable in the day game opener.
Who do you see starting tonight and why?
[drum roll] Well, Danielle, when you look at the available arms, the Rays have some interesting options.
Freddy Peralta had a rough outing recently, and while he's talented, you might wanna rest him heading into October.
Given the Yankees' lineup, I'd expect the Rays to go with someone who can manage pitch counts efficiently.
If they wanna protect their starters for the playoffs, they might lean on a veteran presence like Matz or give more innings to someone like Nick Martinez, who we talked about yesterday as a crucial piece.
Right, and remember, Clark Schmidt is day-to-day for the Yankees, which means their rotation isn't exactly pristine either.
But for Tampa Bay, the injury list is staggering.
We know Fernando Cruz, Ryan Weathers, Manuel Rodriguez, and Garrett Clevinger are all on the 15-day IL.
How does that impact your view of tonight's starter?
It forces the Rays to be incredibly careful with their remaining healthy arms.
If they burn through their top three options too early, they risk having no one left for the final week of the regular season.
I think they'll try to get six solid innings from whoever starts tonight.
He knows how to navigate high leverage situations.
But if they go younger, like Brody Hopkins, there's a higher variance.
The Rays have been managing their rotation brilliantly all year, but this injury situation is testing their depth more than any other team in baseball right now.
He's coming off that huge win where he struck out 11 and kept the no-hitter going until the seventh.
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