Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Rays' Pitcher Returning From World Baseball Classic Hoping to Make Roster

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Mar 13, 2026 7:00 AM ET

With the World Baseball Classic still ongoing, the Tampa Bay Rays have a few notable players who are still away from the team. However, one player who is fighting for a roster spot will be rejoining the team.

With the WBC being quite successful so far with plenty of drama, the Rays have to be happy that a couple of their star players have performed well on the world stage. Sluggers Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda have both had good tournaments so far, and that is a very encouraging sign for Tampa Bay.

While both of those players might be away from the team, they are getting some excellent experience right now. Even though much of the attention has been on those two, the Rays have also had a couple of pitchers away from the team.

Recently, pitcher Yoendrys Gómez made the decision that he will be leaving Team Venezuela after one appearance to rejoin the Rays. This hasn’t been an uncommon practice for pitchers, with Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal doing the same thing for the United States.

With Gomez set to rejoin Tampa Bay at spring training, his next appearance is scheduled to be on Friday when he will come in following Drew Rasmussen. The right-hander is someone who is battling for a role in the bullpen, and his performance will be key.

Can Gomez Make the Roster?

The 26-year-old is currently out of options to the minors, which could help give him a bit of an upper hand when it comes to making the roster, but it will ultimately depend on his performance. Tampa Bay sees him as a relief pitcher who can come in and work multiple innings in relief, while throwing a good number of strikes.

This is a very valuable role in the bullpen and one that can help save other arms from being overworked. In his career, he has totaled a 4.86 ERA in multiple years with the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. With him still being just 26 years old, there is still reason to believe that he can be an effective pitcher.

The next couple of weeks will be important for Gomez on his quest to make the team. There are a number of options for this role in the bullpen, and the team will be trying to create the best unit possible for the start of the season.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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