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TAMPA, Fla. — Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay's 21-year-old third baseman, had a few big games last week during the Rays' offensive hot streak. He had six RBIs on Thursday against Houston, and five more on Saturday. For the week, he hit .379 with four homers, 13 RBIs, four doubles and eight runs over seven games, witha 1.331 OPS.
For that, Caminero was named American League co-player of the week, sharing the honor with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. It was his first MLB award, and the first time a Rays player has won a weekly honor since former third baseman Isaac Paredes — than man Caminero replaced in the Rays' startin g lineup — won the award in June 27, 2022. Manuel Margot also won a player of the week award while with the Rays in May of 2022.
Christian Yelich of Milwaukee won the National League player of the week award.
It was an epic week for Caminero. He became just the third Rays player ever with at least 11 RBIs over a three-game span and he was the first to do it since teammate Brandon Lowe also had 11 RBIs in a three-game stretch at the end of the 2021 season.
Caminero also had two RBIs on Wednesday against the Minnesota Twins, so his 13 RBIs over a four-game stretch are also tied for third-most in franchise history in that span. Ben Zobrist did that during a hot stretch in April 2011.
Caminero's six extra-base hits in the Astros series were the most since former third baseman Evan Longoria also had six extra-base hits against the Toronto Blue Jays in May of 2013.
The Rays (30-29) are back in action on Tuesday night, taking on the Texas Rangers at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The game starts at 7:35 p.m. ET.
Here's the complete list of American League winners so far this season:
- March 29: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- April 5: Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox
- April 12: Ty France, Minnesota Twins
- April 19: Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners
- April 26: Jorge Polanco, Seattle Mariners
- May 3: Riley Greene, Detroit Tigers
- May 10: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
- May 17: Miguel Vargas, Chicago White Sox
- May 24: Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels
- May 31: Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays, and Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners.
Related Rays stories
- RAYS SCHEDULE CHANGES: As we roll into June, there is a new set of starting times for Tampa Bay Rays baseball games during this first hiomestand against the Texas Rangers and Miami Marlins. Here's the new schedule, with start times and TV information. CLICK HERE
- TOM BREW COLUMN: Home plate umpire Nic Lentz missed a call and Tampa Bay shortstop Taylor Walls didn't like it. And then he went too far and got thrown out of the game, which led to great theatrics. Walls was wrong, though, and went too far. Here is "Tampa Bay Rays on SI" publi sher Tom Brew's column CLICK HERE
- HUNTER BROWN BLANKS RAYS (Sunday): It was a weird series for Tampa Bay Rays, who lost 1-0 Sunday, only getting two hits despite scoring 29 runs in two wins against the Houston Astros. They wasted a terrific performance by Taj Bradley, who only gave up one unearned run in seven innings. CLICK HERE
- RAYS CRUSH ASTROS 16-3 (Saturday): Zack Littell pitched Tampa Bay's first complete game since 2021 and the Rays had season highs in home runs (5), hits (18) and runs (16) in a 16-3 blowout of the Houston Astros on Saturday. CLICK HERE
- MANGUM HOMER A FAMILY AFFAIR: Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jake Mangum waited a long time to make the big leagues, and the 29-year-old had a great first month before suffering a groin injury. He came back this weekend, and hit his first-ever MLB home run with his parents in the stands. It was a great family moment. CLICK HERE
- FRAMBER VALDEZ DOMINATES RAYS (Friday): Ryan Pepiot had his second straight scoreless start, but Houston rallied with a run in the eighth and a walk-off homer from catcher Yainer Diaz in the ninth for a 2-1. Framberr Valdez pitched a nasty 83-pitch complete game for Houston. CLICK HERE
- CAMINERO HAS 6 RBIs IN ROUT (Thursday): The Tampa Bay Rays continued their winning ways on Thursday, exploding for five runs in both the seventh and eighth innings in a 13-3 rout of the Houston Astros. Junior Caminero had three hits and six RBIs for the Rays. CLICK HERE
- KELLY REJOINS RAYS: Kevin Kelly has been a big part of the Tampa Bay Rays bullpen since 2023, and he's back with the team after spending six weeks on the injured list. He was activated on Thursday ahead of the series with the Houston Astros. CLICK HERE
More must-reads:
- Angels manager recovering from quadruple bypass, hopes to manage in 2026
- Rookie pitcher's emergence a promising sign for Yankees' future
- The 'Active 20-home run MLB seasons' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Aaron Boone shares where Anthony Volpe stands with Yankees
Anthony Volpe was out of the lineup for the second straight day when the New York Yankees hosted the Washington Nationals on Monday night, but Aaron Boone insists he has not lost confidence in the shortstop. Volpe was benched for Sunday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox, which the Yankees won 7-2 to prevent a four-game sweep. Jose Caballero started at shortstop for New York and was back in the lineup on Monday. That raised the question of whether Volpe is now a bench player. Boone was asked about that before the game, and he said he still views Volpe as the Yankees' top shortstop. Boone is just hoping to give Volpe a reset that could serve the 24-year-old well down the stretch. "I view (Caballero) getting a lot of run in a lot of different spots, but I view Anthony as our shortstop," Boone said. "Production comes in a lot of different ways. I think sometimes people want him, because he's a shortstop with speed, he's gotta hit for a certain average and do certain things. "Productive offensive players come in many shapes and forms. He's got a lot of ability. He's shown a lot of flashes in that. I think the next thing for Anthony is the consistency part and limiting some of the peaks and valleys." The problem for Volpe is that he has struggled both at the plate and in the field. He entered Monday batting just .208 and has committed 17 errors, which is the second-most of any player in baseball. Boone can say he still believes in Volpe, but the lineup card will tell the real story. The manager gave a somewhat ominous answer when asked about Volpe's status on Sunday. If the Yankees get more production from Caballero, Boone is not going to give Volpe his job back just to protect the infielder's feelings.
Zachary Yager, Veteran NASCAR Pit Crew Member, Dies Aged 35
Zachary Yager, who had served as an over-the-wall pit crew member in the NASCAR National Series ranks since the 2014 season, has died at the age of 35. TobyChristie.com had the initial report of Yager's death. Yager, a New York native, had pit crew stints with Richard Childress Racing, Team Penske, RFK Racing, and JTG Daugherty Racing (now known as HYAK Motorsports), where he won the 2023 Daytona 500, from 2014 to 2024. Ahead of the 2025 season, Yager moved to Elite Race Services, a Mooresville, NC-based company that specializes in assembling teams of pit crews for NASCAR National Series race teams. This season, Yager had been serving as the Jack Man for the No. 39 RSS Racing team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as well as the No. 88 ThorSport Racing team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The loss of Yager was absolutely unexpected for Elite Race Services, which is grieving the loss of one of its own, while issuing its deepest sympathy to Yager's family. “Obviously, nobody saw this coming and we’re in total disbelief,” Cory DeMarco, owner of Elite Race Services said in a statement given to TobyChristie.com. “All of the guys send our thoughts and prayers out to his dad and family, right now.” ThorSport Racing, likewise, expressed grief over the sudden and unexpected loss of Yager. “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of our friend and teammate, Zachary Yager,” said ThorSport Racing in a statement. “He was an important part of our family, and our hearts are with his loved ones and community as we grieve this loss together.” While he was serving as a Jack Man this season, Yager was well-known as a well-rounded pit crew member, who could perform at nearly every position on an over-the-wall pit crew. Yager previously served as a Tire Carrier and Fueler in addition to the Jack Man role. No details surrounding Yager's death have been released, but the veteran pit crew member had been missing since Monday, August 18, according to various social media posts from members of Yager's family.
Giants to waive fan favorite QB
The Giants’ trio of new quarterbacks has pushed Tommy DeVito off the roster. New York is moving on, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. DeVito has made 12 appearances and eight starts across the past two seasons, but the Giants’ actions this offseason led to the expectation he would wind up on the wrong side of the roster bubble. New York added Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency before selecting Jaxson Dart in the first round of the draft. Each of those three signal-callers will be on the team’s 53-man roster, Dianna Russini of The Athletic confirms. DeVito’s showings during his regular season appearances as well as New York’s preseason finale last Thursday could make him an attractive option on the waiver wire. Teams will be able to put in a claim through Wednesday, the first day in which practice squads will be formed. If DeVito, 27, passes through waivers, he will become a free agent. As NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes, DeVito was the subject of trade talks in recent days. Winston has also been the target of a potential deal, but the Giants are prepared to move forward with the former No. 1 pick in a depth capacity. Wilson will handle starting duties to begin the year with Dart looming as a potential replacement depending on how the early portion of the campaign shakes out. This time of year often brings about shuffling at the QB position, and it will be interesting to see how strong DeVito’s market turns out to be. The Raiders found themselves in need of an addition, but their vacancy was filled with the Kenny Pickett trade. The Patriots, meanwhile, have only two passers in the organization at the moment. New England thus represents a candidate for a waiver claim or a free agent push in the event DeVito hits the market.
Raiders sign five-time Pro Bowl WR amid Jakobi Meyer drama
Hours after the NFL Network reported Jakobi Meyers requested a trade from the Las Vegas Raiders amid a contract dispute, the team added a veteran wide receiver. Per Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are signing Amari Cooper. "Reunion: Former Bills WR Amari Cooper, one of the NFL’s top free agents still available, is signing with the Raiders on a 1-year deal, per source," Rapoport posted on X. "Some late, big-time pass-catching help for the team that once drafted him in the first round." Cooper helps provide depth to a receiver room that was light at the position, even if the situation with Meyers was cleared up. Behind Meyers on the depth chart are receivers Tre Tucker and Dont'e Thornton Jr., a rookie fourth-round pick. The Oakland Raiders selected Cooper with the No. 4 pick in the 2015 draft. He's earned five Pro Bowl nominations, with his last appearance coming in 2023. Cooper has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills. The 31-year-old has appeared in 154 games and started 143, recording 711 receptions for 10,033 yards and 64 touchdowns. He recorded 297 yards receiving and two touchdowns in 2024. The signing gives Geno Smith another talented receiver to throw to this season. The Raiders have three solid targets with Meyers and second-year tight end Brock Bowers. Signing Cooper also gives the Raiders flexibility if they want to trade Meyers (or if he holds out), unhappy with playing in Las Vegas on the final season of his three-year, $33 million deal he signed in 2023.
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