BOSTON — The Rays added another infielder to their stash on Tuesday, claiming Yu Chang off waivers from the Pirates.
Chang, 26, is a right-handed hitter who plays first, second and third base and previously was with Cleveland. He is out of options, so he has to join the major-league team, likely on Friday in Cincinnati.
The Rays will have to make room on their active roster then, with the potential — barring injury or another move — that one of their young infielders, such as Vidal Brujan, is sent down.
“I don’t know a ton about (Chang) but look forward to getting him in here,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, adding that he spoke Tuesday with Pirates manager Derek Shelton about Chang, a native of Taiwan.
Over parts of four seasons in the majors, Chang has a .204 career average with 11 homers and 48 RBIs in 149 games. Most of his playing time came last year with Cleveland, where he hit .228 with nine homers and 39 RBIs in 89 games.
“Good defender, can play all over the place in the infield,” Cash said. “He’s got plenty of major-league at-bats between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.”
To make room for Chang on the 40-man roster, the Rays shifted Brandon Lowe to the 60-day injured list. That delays his potential return from a low back issue until July 15, though he wasn’t likely to be ready until after the July 18-21 All-Star break, anyway.
Springs rejoins team
Jeffrey Springs rejoined the Rays after being reinstated from the family medical emergency list. He missed five days dealing with an undisclosed but apparently now stabilized medical issue involving his 5-month-old son, Stetson, and was scheduled to start Tuesday night’s game against the Red Sox.
Cash said the Rays considered Springs to be “full-go” for the game despite the missed time, which included a Thursday start in Toronto, and noted Springs was able to go to Tropicana Field to keep his arm in shape.
“Really excited to have him back,” Cash said. “He’ll probably discuss it more, but his child, his 5-month-old, is doing well. It’s going to be a little process in the hospital for a little while, but I think him and his wife (Bailey) feel good about the status and the update.”
Josh Fleming, who impressed while working five-plus innings on Monday, was optioned back to Triple-A but will stay with the team for now as a member of the taxi squad.
Back in the bullpen, part 2
Lefty Brooks Raley also was excited to be able to rejoin the team after missing the four-day series in Toronto since he is unvaccinated. “A little time off, got to spend some time with the family and then glad to be back,” he said. As for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine, which cost him about $93,000 in pay for the four missed days? “I still think that’s a personal decision every player has to make,” he said. “As long as that’s a choice that we have been entitled to, that’s the option I’ve gone with for the last year or so.”
Miscellany
First baseman Ji-Man Choi was somewhat surprisingly not in the lineup Tuesday night against Boston right-hander Nick Pivetta; Cash said it was just a day off. ... Cash said there is no update yet on Luis Patino, whose last rehab start was cut short due to a right middle finger blister. ... The Sox are bringing up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello, and his 98 mph fastball, to start Wednesday.
