Yandy Diaz Out For Tampa Bay Rays Series In Toronto

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Joe Rutland | Last updated May 14, 2025 9:00 AM ET

With the Tampa Bay Rays opening up a key early-season series against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, they hoped to have their regular lineup on the field. But that is not the case.

News broke on Tuesday afternoon that Rays slugger Yandy Díaz will not be with the team. He has been placed on the MLB restricted list through Thursday. When asked about a reason for this taking place, manager Kevin Cash said that a passport renewal issue was behind it.

“Certainly disappointed that he’s not here because he’s such a big part of our team and offense, but look forward to getting him back in Miami,” Cash told MLB.com. To take Diaz's place on the roster, Tampa Bay called up infielder Coco Montes from Triple-A Durham.

Yandy Diaz primarily been Rays' DH this season

Díaz has primarily been used by Cash as the Rays' designated hitter this season. He's hitting .238 with six home runs and 20 RBI through 40 games. Cash moved Díaz from playing first base to primarily being the team's DH, looking to get more offense out of him.

YANDY DIAZ❗️ pic.twitter.com/Sqz0nqGzNo
— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) April 24, 2025

While that hasn't happened as much as Cash hoped, Díaz is still a veteran presence on the team. That means a lot when Tampa Bay has a lot of younger players trying to find their way in MLB life.

Díaz hasn’t gotten off to a great start this season, but the veteran remains one of Tampa Bay’s best hitters. Shifting away from first base to be the primary DH this season, the 33-year-old slugger is slashing .238/.291/.400.

Who will Cash get to fill in at DH for the Toronto series? On Tuesday night, he put second baseman Brandon Lowe in the spot. Don't be surprised if Christopher Morel is putting in time at DH, too.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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