The Tampa Bay Rays saw star outfielder Chandler Simpson leave Monday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
Simpson was trying to steal second base when his helmet popped off and then came back down and hit him in the face. The speedster immediately was in pain, and when he lifted his head up, he was bleeding from his mouth.
“Chandler Simpson leaving the game after a slide into second. His helmet popped up and struck him in the face, leaving him bloodied,” wrote Rays sideline reporter Ryan Bass.
On the broadcast, the commentators claimed they thought Simpson’s tooth came out, which caused the pain and blood. But, due to the blood and pain, the Rays trainers ended up taking Simpson out of the game, and he was replaced by Ryan Vilde.
Simpson is hitting .284 with 0 home runs and 12 RBIs this season, along with 14 stolen bases.
The Rays selected Simpson in the Competitive Balance section of the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Georgia Tech. Simpson is known to be a contact-first speedy outfielder who also plays well defensively.
This is Simpson’s second MLB season, and he’s yet to hit a home run. In his 165-game career, he’s hitting .291 with 0 home runs and 38 RBIs, while being 58-for-78 in stolen bases.
Rays Were Hoping Simpson Gets Going
Tampa Bay is atop the AL East as the Rays have been a surprise team.
Yet, many expected Simpson to have a bigger role in the success, and MLB.com’s Adam Berry named Simpson the player the team needs to get going in June.
“Perhaps fittingly, the fastest man in baseball sprinted out of the gates this season, batting .314 with a .349 on-base percentage and 11 stolen bases in his first 30 games of the season,” Berry wrote. “His defense in left field is still noticeably improved, but he’s run into a little tougher luck lately.
“In his next 24 games, Simpson posted a .258/.291/.330 slash line with three stolen bases, while getting caught stealing five times. If Simpson gets back on track, he’s a potent weapon in front of the Rays’ top hitters: Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Díaz.”
Simpson is a key part of the Rays lineup as he creates havoc on the basepaths when he reaches due to his speed and stolen base threat. Yet, he has struggled to get on base as much as Tampa Bay wants, which has impacted the offense.
Tampa Bay a True Threat
The Rays have been a surprise team this season as the team is atop the AL East.
Tampa Bay won its sixth straight series at home to end the month of May, and Shane McClanahan believes it’s because the team has full confidence in each other.
“We played more like ourselves,” McClanahan said. “I think one thing this clubhouse did a really good job of was not getting too high, not getting too low. So, to be able to respond the way we did this series was good.”
The Rays are 36-20 and are 1.5 games up on the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Rays Make Chandler Simpson Announcement During Tigers Game appeared first on HEAVY.