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The Tampa Bay Rays have announced that former top prospect Francisco Mejía has been designated for assignment.
The catcher picked up a left knee MCL sprain on July 21 and was placed on the injured list. The Rays activated Mejía earlier today before designating him.
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The 27-year-old batted .265 with a .790 OPS over his last 24 games prior to injury. Meija underwent a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham, where he hit .348 with one home run and four RBIs in six games.
The Rays’ record with Mejía this season reads 28-22, compared to the 47-29 without him. Since his injury last month, the Rays have slipped to 15-12 and lost ground in the AL East pennant race.
They still enjoy a 4.5-game cushion in the Wild Card standings, which is a decent spot to be in. However, the loss of All-Star shortstop Wander Franco due to the controversy surrounding him at the moment doesn’t help the Rays heading into the business end of their campaign.
Mejía’s departure also takes away some experience from their squad, which has left Rays fans concerned with the playoffs only weeks away.
The Rays don’t have a catcher problem, they have a Wander Franco problem
Barring an extraordinary collapse, the Tampa Bay Rays should make the MLB postseason this year. However, what should have been a relatively smooth march into the playoffs has been complicated by the Wander Franco controversy.
The gravity of the allegations made against Franco makes matters worse for the club, on and off the field.
Both MLB and Dominican Republic authorities continue to investigate Franco due to his alleged involvement in a relationship with a minor. He has been placed on administrative leave by the league and is unlikely to play any further part this season.
Francisco Mejía’s departure does take away some experience from the Rays’ catching department, but it is not their biggest area of concern.
Christian Bethancourt remains the club’s starting catcher, while René Pinto has deputized well in Mejía’s absence.
Pinto is expected to start against the Colorado Rockies later on today, as the Rays look to build on Sunday’s impressive 18-4 win against the Los Angeles Angels.
