The Tampa Bay Rays are in Toronto this week in Major League Baseball action. However, one of their key bats is not in the lineup. The player missing is designated hitter Yandy Diaz of of Sagua La Grande, Cuba, who has a passport renewal issue and was unable to access Canada according to Rogers Sportsnet.
Yandy Diaz in 2025
Diaz, who also plays first base and third base, is batting .238 this season with six home runs and 20 runs batted in. During 40 games, 160 at bats and 175 plate appearances, Diaz has scored 15 times, and had 38 hits, eight doubles, two stolen bases, 12 walks, 64 total bases, two sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .291 and a slugging percentage of .400.
Diaz’s two sacrifice flies came in two Rays wins. The first came on March 31 in a 6-1 Rays win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and the second came on April 25 in a 1-0 Rays win over the San Diego Padres. Diaz scored shortstop Taylor Walls of Cordele, Georgia for the only run of the game.
One concern for Rays fans is Diaz’s batting average to start the season. It is 92 points lower than when he led the American League with a .330 batting average in 2023.
Did not miss Diaz at all on Monday
The Rays scored often on Monday and did not miss Diaz at all. The Rays pounded Blue Jays pitching for 11 runs and 10 hits en route to a high scoring 11-9 victory. The Rays’s most notable hit was a grand slam in the top of the ninth inning by third baseman Junior Caminero of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Canada not part of the United States
Diaz might have been confused lately with all of the news from the American government that Canada should be the 51st state of the United States. That is not the case as Canada and the United States are separate countries, and you need a valid passport to play a Major League Baseball game in Toronto.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
