Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (forearm) was removed from Thursday's game early against the division-rival New York Yankees, not because of a trade but because of injury. Diaz was hit in the right forearm by a pitch in the first inning and was replaced by Christopher Morel, the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin reports. The 33-year-old tried to stay in the game but was eventually replaced by Morel in the fourth frame. Diaz will almost certainly go for X-rays to rule out a broken bone in his arm, but fantasy managers will want to consider him day-to-day until we know more. There's a good chance he won't be ready to return for Friday's series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cuban slugger is on pace to set a new career-high in home runs and only needs five more to reach 23. He's also driven in 62 runs and has a strong .283 average (117-for-413) in 104 games.

Chris Cotillo of Mass Live writes that Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz intrigues the Boston Red Sox, and they could end up trading for him this week. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Rays stance on not trading key players "may be softening" because of how poorly they've played recently. ESPN's Buster Olney also reported that the Rays "could shift to become sellers." The 33-year-old fits the Red Sox because he's a right-handed bat with pop who has 18 home runs and 19 doubles in 2025. He's a clear upgrade at first base over Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez. Also making him more attractive is the fact that he's under control beyond this year, and the Red Sox aren't guaranteeing that Triston Casas (knee), who is out for the year, will be the starter in 2026. Diaz has a $12 million club option for 2026 and a vesting option for 2027 (based on plate appearances).

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that regardless of whether the Tampa Bay Rays become sellers at this year's trade deadline, they will be reluctant to trade players who signed team-friendly contract extensions. It means that first baseman Yandy Diaz is the most unlikely to be moved after the Rays exercised his $12 million option for 2026 and added a $10 million club option for 2027. Second baseman Brandon Lowe also signed a below-market extension for six years and $24 million in March of 2019. However, he only has an $11.5 million option for 2026 left. Closer Pete Fairbanks only has a $7 million club option remaining as well, so if the Rays decide to become sellers soon, Lowe and Fairbanks would have a much better shot at being traded than Diaz, who is hitting .285 (105-for-368) with 14 home runs, 53 RBI, 43 runs and three steals in 2025.

Tampa Bay Rays DH Yandy Diaz had a big day in a 6-5 win over the Athletics on Wednesday. Diaz went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer to help send the Rays to the win. The veteran slugged a two-run shot to break a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning, a blast that traveled 415 feet with an exit velocity of 113.1 MPH. Diaz is putting together another productive season for the Rays, hitting .291 with 14 homers, 39 runs, 49 RBI, and three steals across 327 at-bats. He has been red-hot of late, hitting .407 with four homers and eight RBI in his past 15 contests. With a decent shot at beating his previous career-high of 22 homers set in 2023, Diaz is a solid fantasy infielder in all formats.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/designated hitter Yandy Diaz helped power his team in Friday's 14-8 win over the Detroit Tigers. He went 3-for-5 with two home runs and two RBI. Daz has been a somewhat surprising source of power so far this season, as he's already recorded 12 homers after hitting just 14 in 145 games in 2024. Daz has also been useful in batting average (.277) and RBI (44). The Rays lead MLB in runs scored in June, and Daz has been a huge contributor, batting .400 this month. He's a solid starting option at first base or corner infield in all formats.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz is not in the starting lineup on Sunday when the Rays conclude a series against the New York Mets. Diaz has started in each of the past seven games but will be given a maintenance day on Sunday. Over this stretch, Diaz has posted a strong .433/.485/.733 slash line with one double, one triple, two home runs, and seven RBI. Instead, the Rays will give Jonathan Aranda the start at first base, which opens the DH spot for third baseman Junior Caminero. Fantasy managers should expect Diaz to return to the starting nine on Monday evening when they begin a divisional series against the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays are a strong option in DFS this afternoon, facing New York right-hander Griffin Canning, who enters this game holding a 3.22 ERA.

Tampa Bay Rays DH Yandy Diaz had an excellent game in his team's 4-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. Diaz went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer but it wasn't quite enough to down the Red Sox. The veteran tied the game at 3-3 with his fifth-inning homer, a shot that traveled 386 feet with an exit velocity of 103.4 MPH. Diaz is now hitting .256 with 10 homers, 28 runs, 39 RBI, and three stolen bases across 254 at-bats this season. He has been on a tear at the plate lately, batting .370 with two homers and five RBI over his past seven games. Diaz remains a solid fantasy option in all leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz had a big game at the plate to help lead the club to a 3-2 win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday. With the Rays trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Diaz hit a two-run homer off right-hander Valente Bellozo to tie the game. He also doubled and singled during a 3-for-4 afternoon. Diaz has offered above-average offensive production since he became a regular in 2021, but he's hitting an underwhelming .246/.297/.413 with nine homers, 36 RBI, and a career-worst 6.5% walk rate this season. However, Diaz does rank in the league's 67th percentile or higher in xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG, suggesting he's due for positive regression. He'll try to keep it going Monday in a meeting with Boston Red Sox righty Brayan Bello. Diaz has performed well in their matchups with five hits (including two doubles) in 12 at-bats.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz will be out of the team's lineup on Friday for their series opener against the visiting Miami Marlins. It's just a routine day off for the 33-year-old, who's started 18 of the previous 19 outings. Teammate Brandon Lowe will act as the Rays' designated hitter, while Jonathan Aranda is at first base. Despite a middling .244/.291/.397 slash line, Diaz is underperforming his xBA (.285) and xSLG (.474) by quite a bit. In fact, his quality of contact metrics are closer to where they were in 2023 when he hit .330 with 22 homers. He appears due for some positive regression, considering an uncharacteristically low .255 BABIP that would qualify for the lowest of his career by 30 points if it holds.

The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Friday that they reinstated infielder Yandy Diaz from the restricted list and optioned infielder Coco Montes to Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Diaz was placed on the restricted list earlier this week due to a visa issue that prevented him from entering Canada and playing in the series against the Toronto Blue Jays. He's back with the team now and should be in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener in Miami against the Marlins and right-hander Max Meyer. For DFS purposes, it's not the greatest matchup for the 33-year-old Cuban veteran against a pitcher on the rise who he has never faced in his career. Diaz will be returning to a mediocre .238/.291/.400 slash line with a below-average .691 OPS, six home runs, 20 RBI, 15 runs and two steals on the year. He has three homers in 10 games in May but is hitting just .184 (7-for-38).

The Tampa Bay Rays placed infielder Yandy Diaz on the restricted list on Tuesday and recalled infielder Coco Montes from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. With Diaz out on Tuesday against the division-rival Blue Jays in Toronto, second baseman Brandon Lowe is serving as the designated hitter and Jose Caballero is playing second base. It's unclear why the 33-year-old Diaz is on the restricted list or how long he'll remain there, which is certainly concerning for his fantasy managers. Check back soon, as we should have an update on why he was put on the restricted list. Diaz has gone just 7-for-38 (.184) with three homers and seven RBI in 10 games in the month of May to drop his season slash line to .238/.291/.400 with a below-average .691 OPS on the year.UPDATE: A delay in having his passport being renewed is the reason why Diaz was unable to make the trip to Toronto.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (hip) is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff for the Rays on Wednesday against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies and left-hander Cristopher Sanchez. Diaz will return to action after leaving Tuesday's win over the Phillies early with tightness in his right hip. Curtis Mead is starting at first base and batting fifth. The 33-year-old Diaz hasn't been nearly as good in the leadoff spot against left-handers so far this year, going 5-for-32 with two of his five home runs and only three RBI. In six career at-bats against Sanchez, Diaz has hit .333 with a .666 OPS in six at-bats. The Cuban slugger has had a modest season heading into Wednesday's action with a .257/.312/.421 slash line, .733 OPS, five home runs, 17 RBI, 14 runs scored and two steals. He's been hot the last two weeks, though, going 16-for-46 (.348) with two of his five homers on the season.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (leg) left Tuesday's game in the sixth inning due to an apparent leg injury. He seemed to tweak something swinging at a pitch in the sixth inning, and left the game while gesturing toward his right leg. More details regarding the specifics of the injury should be available after the game. Diaz was enjoying a nice night at the plate, launching a two-run home run in the fourth inning that was his fifth of the season.UPDATE: Manager Kevin Cash said the team thinks Diaz is OK and will play on Wednesday. Diaz was pulled early because his right hip tightened up on him.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz played an integral part in helping the Rays win the series' rubber match on Thursday evening against the Arizona Diamondbacks by a score of 7-4 in extra innings. He went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Diaz is heating up at the plate over the last two games with back-to-back games of three hits in each contest, boosting his slash line to .248/.286/.400 after a slow start to the season. Diaz is a career .287 hitter, so fantasy managers should be expecting progression on the horizon. In addition, he is not striking out or whiffing often and has an xBA of .285, so fantasy managers should expect the results to follow. The Rays continue their NL East road trip with a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Friday. Diaz will look to stay hot at the plate and help the Rays finish the week strong.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz blasted his second home run of the season in Sunday's 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. The home run came in the first inning off Chris Sale, the 2024 NL Cy Young winner. Diaz has gotten off to a slow start to the season, but in his last six games, he has gone 7-for-23 (.304). So far this season, Diaz is now slashing .210/.242/.355, scoring eight runs with three RBI, to go along with the two home runs. Diaz is a career .287 hitter, so fantasy managers should expect him to turn it around as he's barrelling the ball up and still ranks in the 82nd percentile in hard-hit percentage. Next for Diaz and the Rays is a series against divisional rivals, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. Diaz will look to keep it going and stay hot at the plate.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz is going to stick around with the organization for a few more seasons. On Friday, the Rays picked up Diaz's $12 million team option for 2026 and added a vesting option for the 2027 season. This is noteworthy because Diaz was subject to plenty of trade rumors this offseason, but it appears the Rays want to hold onto the slugging corner infielder. Last season, Diaz slashed .281/.341/.755 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI across 145 games with the Rays. That was actually a down year for Diaz who hit .330 with 22 homers in 2023. He has been a reliable bat for a handful of years and that should remain the case heading into 2025.

The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin writes that the Tampa Bay Rays are considering dropping first baseman Yandy Diaz down in the lineup from the leadoff spot as a way to boost their offense in 2025. Diaz has served as the team's leadoff hitter the last two seasons, but the 33-year-old veteran could be moved down in order to increase his RBI opportunities. In the leadoff spot, Diaz won the American League batting title with a .330 batting average in 2023, so he's done well in the lineup spot, but a move down would also give him more chances to drive in runs. Despite the talk about moving Diaz down, he has mostly served as the leadoff man this spring. Regardless of lineup position, fantasy managers can't expect Diaz to ever be as good as he was in 2023, especially if he continues to hit more ground balls. He ranks as RotoBaller's No. 19 fantasy first baseman. A trade might be the best thing for his fantasy value going forward.

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the New York Mets have checked in on first baseman Yandy Diaz. Sources have reported that the Mets have shown interest in Diaz earlier this offseason, but the Rays were unwilling to part with the first baseman. However, given this recent report, the Rays may be open to a trade discussion, especially after they added another infielder, Ha-Seong Kim, earlier this week. The Mets have also contacted other teams looking for a first baseman, including the Detroit Tigers for Spencer Torkelson and the Baltimore Orioles for Ryan Mountcastle. The Mets remain in discussions with Pete Alonso but have begun to have preliminary discussions for an alternative option. Last season, Diaz posted a .281/.341/.414 line with 14 home runs.

According to Andy Martino of SNY, the Tampa Bay Rays are not expected to trade first baseman Yandy Diaz. According to Martino, the Rays plan to hold onto Diaz for the time being as he is one of the top options for offensive production. The 33-year-old enjoyed another strong season in 2024 as he posted a .281/.341/.414 line with 14 home runs and 31 doubles. He showed a great eye at the plate with a 15.3% K rate and a 14.2% whiff rate, which were among the top marks in the sport. He also generated a strong 48.7% hard-hit rate, suggesting his power production could see some positive regression in 2025. This was a slight drop in production compared to the stellar .330/.410/.522 line he posted in 2023. Fantasy managers should expect Diaz to have a consistent spot in the Rays lineup, and he is an excellent target for points leagues, given his elite contact and low strikeout rate.

Tampa Bay Rays infielders Yandy Diaz and Jose Caballero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca are all out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Diaz is on the bench for the third time in the last four days, but it doesn't appear he's dealing with any sort of injury. The 33-year-old hasn't been as good as he was last year when he won the American League batting title with a .330 average, but he's still been one of Tampa's best hitters with a .282/.342/.417 slash line with 14 homers and 65 RBI in 143 games played. Jonathan Aranda is playing first and batting cleanup, with Taylor Walls at short and batting ninth, and Jose Siri in center and in the seven-hole against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. Aranda recently homered in three straight games and has become a regular down the stretch, hitting .262 (16-for-61) with five homers and nine RBI in 20 games in September.