Tampa Bay Rays Place Beckham on DL and Activate Miller

Prior to Friday night’s game against the Red Sox, the Tampa Bay Rays have place Tim Beckham on the DL and activated Brad Miller from the DL.

Initially in the Tampa Bay Rays starting lineup on Thursday night, Tim Beckham was scratched from the lineup with a left ankle injury just before game time with a left ankle injury. Manager Kevin Cash at the time said that the team was not overly concerned as Beckham did see the doctor and was scratched as a precaution.

However, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times reported that Brad Miller on a rehab assignment with the Durham Bulls was scratched from the starting lineup.

It’s a tough break for Beckham who is having the best year of his career considering everything that he has gone through, specifically last season when he was demoted to Durham and not recalled when the rosters expanded in September.

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Beckham opened the season at shortstop and was supposed to be just a stopgap until Matt Duffy was ready to return to the lineup following his off-season heel surgery. However, Duffy continued to have problems with his recovery and Beckham remained at short.

When the injury happened or how is not exactly known, though Cash did say that Beckham has been dealing with the injury for over a week.

"“I think it’s from repeated swinging. It wasn’t from, I don’t believe, running. I think it started as a minor tweet and from playing on it so much it turned into a little soreness,” said Cash."

Although Beckham’s defense was admirable, though he does have nine errors, his offense is what everyone really took notice at. In 75 games, his slash line stands at .274/.327/.433 with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs and five stolen bases. The home runs and stolen bases are a career high and he is four RBIs from matching his career high set in 2015.

Miller returns from his second stint on the DL, and hopefully the return sparks his offense. After a career 2016 season in which he slammed 30 home runs, with 81 RBIs and 29 doubles ans six triples in 152 games, the Miller of 2016 has yet to arrive as he’ll enter tonight’s game with a slash line of .194/.343/.302 with two home runs, three doubles, three triples and 14 RBIs in 42 games.

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It’s a tough break for Beckham considering the Rays are playing a crucial series this weekend against the Red Sox, but the good news is that he will be eligible to return after the All-Star break (July 16) essentially missing just six games.