Randy Arozarena would like Rays to play in Mexico next year
SAN DIEGO — With the first pitch less than an hour away, as the grounds crew at Petco Park finished up the field around him, Randy Arozarena was still working his way down the leftfield line. The Rays slugger was signing autographs, posing for pictures and hugging fans who wore Rays or Mexico World Baseball Classic jerseys.
For at least one Friday night, Petco Park became Randy Land West. Arozarena loved the crowds from Mexico who came to see him and teammate Isaac Paredes play against the Padres.
And Arozarena would like it if Major League Baseball would let him return the favor to these fans soon. During the spring, the Padres and Giants played the first regular-season game in Mexico City. Arozarena would love for the Rays to play in the second.
“Hopefully next year,” Arozarena said through Rays interpreter Manny Navarro before Friday night’s game.
MLB has held five regular-season series in Mexico; all of those, however, were in Monterrey. The Padres have played in three of those to capitalize on their proximity to the Mexican border. MLB should recognize that they could also capitalize on Arozarena’s rising stardom in his adopted country.
The native Cuban, who defected and became a Mexican citizen, proudly represented those baseball fans with an MVP performance in the Word Baseball Classic. In turn, Mexican baseball fans have embraced Arozarena.
And he is embracing them right back.
Even during the game, Arozarena entertained his fans.
He chatted and signed autographs during a pitching change. He played rock-paper-scissors with a fan during another. Of course, he also hit a monstrous, line-drive home run and drove in four runs in the Rays’ 6-2 win.
“I’m very proud of all the people that have been here,” Arozarena said. “To be able to represent Mexico and to be able to advance with Mexico. I mean, there are all kinds of good players on that team. So it’s very nice to have the support of a lot of the Mexican community here.”
Lowe down
Brandon Lowe has been limited to low-impact cardio work for the last two weeks as he recovers from inflammation in his lower back. That may change very soon, manager Kevin Cash said Saturday.
“B-Lowe is making progress,” Cash said. “We should see him when we get back. He may be joining us for some pregame activities. I think when we get back, we’ll see him in the cage a little bit and maybe taking some ground balls on the field.”
The Rays have tentatively scheduled him to start hitting Friday.
Lowe, who hit 39 homers in 2021, missed 97 games last season with a stress fracture in his lower back. The Rays said this is not related to the previous injury.
In 50 games this season, Lowe is hitting .205 with nine home runs.
Kittredge on the mound
Andrew Kittredge, who had Tommy John surgery last June, is expected to take another big step in his rehab this week. Kittredge will throw live batting practice Friday, Cash said.
“If all goes well with (Lowe), hopefully, he will be a guy hitting off him on the 23rd,” Cash said of that live batting practice session.
Kittredge, who was an All-Star for the Rays in 2021, is not expected back until August.
Praise for Paredes
Paredes became the fifth Rays player with 12 or more home runs this season. “I didn’t see that coming,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of the depth of the Rays’ power this season. But he isn’t surprised Paredes is contributing to their American League-leading 117 homers. “He’s a good hitter,” Cash said. “And I think he’s got a solid approach. He knows what he wants to do when he goes up there. When he’s committed to that pitch he’s looking for, more times than not, he’s doing some damage with it.”
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