Rays focusing on Guardians, but keeping tabs on Hurricane Ian
CLEVELAND — The Rays went about their business of playing the Guardians while also keeping track of developments back in Florida with Hurricane Ian.
“A lot of thought, watching the news, watching the computer,” manager Kevin Cash said. “I know that the Tampa Bay area has been pretty fortunate over many, many years now. But just thinking about everybody there and hopefully that people have done right to prepare and that wherever it goes it doesn’t hit as hard as the speculation.”
Many of the players with wives and kids arranged for them to leave town over the weekend or on Monday, heading either to their offseason homes or to stay with family and friends in less vulnerable areas in Florida.
Pete Fairbanks’ wife, Lydia, took their two kids to the Miami area. “Hopefully nothing too bad hits them,” he said. “Once I saw the Bucs went down there I was a lot more comfortable with that.”
Tyler Glasnow said his girlfriend got one of the last flights out of Tampa on Tuesday morning so she can attend his return to active duty Wednesday. Injured pitcher Ryan Yarbrough’s wife, Nicole, and nearly 1-year-old daughter, Harper, were due to fly to Cleveland on Tuesday morning, but got word late Monday their flight was canceled so they instead drove to her parents’ house near Orlando.
Outfielder Randy Arozarena has family in western Cuba, parts of which were heavily affected by the storm. Cash, several coaches and a number of team executives have homes in the Tampa Bay area that they are monitoring.
Related:
• There will be no over-the-air radio coverage of Wednesday-Friday games in the Tampa Bay area as WDAE provides hurricane coverage. Andy Freed and Neil Solondz’s calls can be heard on the MLB app, SiriusXM and Rays Radio Network stations.
• Bally Sports Sun closed its Tampa studio and is producing the pre- and post-game shows from Cleveland, with reporter Tricia Whitaker doing extra duty.
• Rays officials have already shut down their Port Charlotte complex, where they host spring training and stage year-round activities, and where Ian potentially was forecast to hit.
• Due to impact of the storm, ticket sales of for Rays’ potential home Wild Card and Division Series playoff games, which were to start Friday, will be delayed until Oct. 5.
Diaz expected back Wednesday
Yandy Diaz said his sore left shoulder finally feels better, and he returned to action for the first time in a week, grounding out as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning. Diaz said ahead of the game, via team interpreter Manny Navarro, he was “about 80-90 percent” and felt “pretty good.”
He is expected to be back in the lineup Wednesday. Diaz has not played since Sept. 19, the night he and Arozarena got into a Tropicana Field parking lot altercation, reported by WDAE to be physical but said by the principals to be only verbal.
When asked Tuesday, Diaz said their issue and the injury are not related. “No, no, no, it’s something that’s been bothering me for a while,” he said. “So it’s definitely not because of whatever you guys think that happened last week.”
Miscellany
Tuesday’s game, with a first-pitch temperature of 58 degrees, was delayed 23 minutes in the top of the third inning due to rain, and took 4:29 to complete. ... Cleveland reliever Enyel De Los Santos threw an “immaculate inning” in the seventh, striking out Christian Bethancourt, Jose Siri and Taylor Walls on nine pitches. .... Triple-A Durham clinched the International League East Division and will head to Las Vegas to play Nashville for the league title. ... The Rays used nine pitchers for a majors-most third time. ... The Rays are 11-9 in a majors-most 20 extra-inning games. ... Outfielder Roman Quinn, first sidelined in mid-August with a knee issue, then bothered by a shoulder impingement, joined Durham to start a rehab assignment. He could be a postseason roster consideration as a pinch-runner.
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2022 Tampa Bay Times Hurricane Guide
IT’S STORM SEASON: Get ready and stay informed at tampabay.com/hurricane.
RISING THREAT: Tampa Bay will flood. Here’s how to get ready.
DOUBLE-CHECK: Checklists for building all kinds of hurricane kits
PHONE IT IN: Use your smartphone to protect your data, documents and photos.
SELF-CARE: Protect your mental health during a hurricane.
• • •
Rising Threat: A special report on flood risk and climate change
PART 2: Even weak hurricanes can cause huge storm surges. Experts say people don’t understand the risk.
PART 3: Tampa Bay has huge flood risk. What should we do about it?
INTERACTIVE MAP: Search your Tampa Bay neighborhood to see the hurricane flood risk.
