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Rays' Garrett Cleavinger: Kicks off rehab assignment
Rotowire
Cleavinger (calf) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Sunday, walking three and giving up a three-run home run in one-third of an inning.
Cleavinger, who's recovering from right calf tightness, wasn't sharp at all in his first game action since March 30. The Rays will presumably want the southpaw to get a few rehab outings under his belt to knock off the rust before they consider reinstating him from the injured list, likely positioning Cleavinger for a return in late April if all goes well in the minors.
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Rays' Shane McClanahan: Hit around in second loss
Rotowire
McClanahan (1-2) took the loss Sunday against the Pirates, allowing four runs on eight hits and no walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out five.
While he did keep the ball in the yard Sunday, McClanahan was touched up for a season-high eight knocks and a season-worst four runs allowed. It was encouraging to see the left-hander throw a season-high 90 pitches, but he's still yet to work past the fifth inning in any of his first four starts of 2026. Although he boasts an excellent .191 opponent batting average over 18 frames so far this year, McClanahan will be looking to improve upon his 5.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 18:11 K:BB his next time out versus the Twins.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Seven strong innings in second win
Rotowire
Keller (2-1) notched the win Sunday against the Rays, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks in seven innings. He struck out five.
It was perhaps a season-best performance by the right-hander, who recorded season-high figures in innings and strikeouts. Keller has done a fine job of providing length for the Pirates so far in 2026, tossing at least six innings in four of his five starts. He'll bring a strong 2.79 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 19:9 K:BB over his first 29 frames into his next outing, which is currently projected to come against the division-rival Brewers.
O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rays.
The left-handed-hitting O'Hearn hasn't been a strict platoon player for the Pirates this season, but after he played eight of 13 innings in Saturday's 8-7 loss, he'll get a breather for Sunday's matinee game while southpaw Shane McClanahan toes the rubber for the Rays. Jake Mangum will pick up a start in the outfield in O'Hearn's stead.
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Rays' Nick Fortes: Idle again Sunday
Rotowire
Fortes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Fortes will be on the bench for the second straight day while Hunter Feduccia receives another turn behind the plate. Despite his consecutive absences, Fortes still appears to be the Rays' preferred option at catcher, as he holds a 268-point edge in OPS over Feduccia on the season.
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Rays' Jake Fraley: Taking seat Sunday
Rotowire
Fraley is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Even with the Rays facing right-hander Mitch Keller in the series finale, Fraley will cede his spot in right field to Jonny DeLuca. Fraley has recorded hits in five of his last six starts but is still holding down a pedestrian .227/.292/.364 slash line over 48 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Cam Sanders: Quick return to minors
Rotowire
The Pirates optioned Sanders to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The right-hander was called up from Triple-A on Friday and made his season debut Saturday against the Rays, but he'll head back to the minors after surrendering to four runs over two-thirds of an inning. Wilber Dotel will take Sanders' place in Pittsburgh's bullpen.
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Pirates' Wilber Dotel: Gets first call to big leagues
Rotowire
The Pirates recalled Dotel from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
The 23-year-old has surrendered 10 earned runs with a 13:7 K:BB over 14.1 innings to begin the season with Indianapolis, but he'll get his first opportunity in the major leagues anyway. Dotel was working out of the rotation at Triple-A but will shift to the bullpen to provide some depth for the Pirates after Saturday's 13-inning loss to the Rays.
Seymour recorded a hold while allowing two hits and no walks in 1.2 scoreless innings of relief Saturday against Pittsburgh. He struck out three.
Seymour is still recovering from a disastrous Opening Day outing, when he surrendered five runs and failed to record an out. The left-hander logged hold No. 4 on the campaign Saturday and submitted his fourth scoreless appearance in his last six, but his ERA still stands at 8.68 with a 1.50 WHIP across his first 9.1 innings.
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Rays' Junior Caminero: RBI double in win Saturday
Rotowire
Caminero went 2-for-7 with an RBI double in Saturday's 8-7 extra-innings win over the Pirates.
Paul Skenes was mowing down the Rays through four innings, but a rain delay of two hours and 27 minutes in the bottom of the fourth forced Skenes from the game. The Rays immediately scored five runs following the delay, and Caminero got the scoring started with an RBI double. The third baseman has hit safely in seven of his last eight games and is now slashing .250/.344/.438 with four home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs scored and a 12:17 BB:K across 93 trips to the plate.
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Rays' Cedric Mullins: Hits extra-innings homer in win
Rotowire
Mullins went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and three RBI in Saturday's 8-7 extra-innings win over the Pirates.
Mullins singled home Jonny DeLuca in the fifth inning and later delivered the eventual game-winning homer with a two-run shot to break a 6-6 tie in the top of the 13th. It was Mullins' second homer of the season. The veteran has had a rough go of things at the plate in his first season with the Rays, slashing .149/.205/.284 with just four extra-base hits, eight RBI, seven runs scored, three stolen bases and a 3:16 BB:K across 75 plate appearances.
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Rays' Bryan Baker: Blows save against Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Baker was charged with a blown save Saturday against the Pirates, allowing one run on two hits and one walk with two strikeouts in one inning.
With the heart of the order due up for the Pirates in the bottom of the eighth, manager Kevin Cash called on Baker to protect a 5-4 lead. He yielded a leadoff walk to Brandon Lowe and an infield singled to Ryan O'Hearn before Nick Yorke tied the game with a single. It was Baker's second blown save of the season, though he'd previously recorded four of the Rays' previous five saves. Baker now owns a 4.32 ERA and 9:3 K:BB across 8.1 innings and currently remains Tampa Bay's leading candidate for saves.
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Rays' Drew Rasmussen: Yields four runs in shortened start
Rotowire
Rasmussen didn't factor into the decision Saturday against the Pirates, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks with three strikeouts across 3.2 innings.
Rasmussen gave up a two-run homer to Ryan O'Hearn in the bottom of the first inning and later surrendered another two-run shot to Marcell Ozuna in the fourth. The game was then delayed by rain for two hours and 27 minutes, ending Rasmussen's day after 64 pitches. It was the right-hander's first troublesome outing of the season after he yielded just two runs in 16 innings across his first three starts. Rasmussen now owns a 2.75 ERA and 20:3 K:BB across 19.2 innings. He should be well rested ahead of his next turn through the rotation, which is likely to come at home versus the Twins.
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Pirates' Marcell Ozuna: Homers again Saturday
Rotowire
Ozuna went 2-for-6 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 8-7 extra-innings loss to the Rays.
After batting an abysmal .051 through the Pirates' first 14 games, Ozuna has now hit safely in six straight appearances and has two homers over the last three contests. The 35-year-old might be finding his swing and has boosted his slash line to .185/.254/.292 with two homers, seven RBI, six runs scored and a 6:16 BB:K across 71 plate appearances.
Fortes is not in the Rays' starting lineup against the Pirates on Saturday.
Fortes will be on the bench for the beginning of Saturday's game while Hunter Feduccia starts behind home plate and bats eighth while catching for Drew Rasmussen. Fortes has gone 4-for-11 (.364) with one RBI and one run scored over his last three starts and is slashing .321/.345/.453 over 55 plate appearances this season.
Pirates' Dennis Santana: Works ninth inning in win
Rotowire
Santana allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one in the ninth inning in Friday's win over the Rays.
The Pirates were up by two runs at the start of the eighth inning but tacked on two runs in the home half of the frame. That meant Santana didn't work in a save situation, though he's now pitched the ninth inning or 10th inning in six consecutive appearances -- five of which were to end the game. Santana looks to be the Pirates' preferred closing option for the time being, though Gregory Soto will likely mix in occasionally.
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