Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy Díaz Still Away From the Team, No Timetable For Return

Yandy Díaz has been on the restricted list dealing with personal matters for nearly a week, and Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said the team is still taking things day-to-day with the All-Star.

Jul 12, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (2) singles against the Cleveland Guardians in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz, who hasn't appeared in a game since before the All-Star break, remains on the restricted list as he attends to personal matters.

Díaz did not join the Rays for their road series against the New York Yankees last weekend, nor did he travel with them to Canada to take on the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. Manager Kevin Cash has confirmed that Díaz's stint on the restricted list was not punitive, and that he has remained in daily communication with the team, per MLB.com.

However, Cash said Tuesday that there is no real update on when Díaz will return. All he has said is that they are taking things day-to-day with the reigning American League batting champion.

Kevin Cash says still no update on Yandy Diaz, who has been away from the team for the last four games, dealing with a personal family matter.

— Tricia Whitaker (@TriciaWhitaker) July 23, 2024

Díaz is currently batting .273 with eight home runs, 46 RBI, a .726 OPS and a 1.0 WAR through 94 games this season. Those are all sharp declines from his numbers in 2023, when he hit .330 with 22 home runs, 78 RBI a .932 OPS and a 5.2 WAR.

All of that helped Díaz earn a spot in his first All-Star Game, on top of winning a Silver Slugger Award and finishing sixth in AL MVP voting.

The soon-to-be 33-year-old infielder is on the books for $10 million next season, and Tampa Bay has a $12 million club option on Díaz for 2026.

Díaz has been mentioned as a potential piece the Rays could trade ahead of next week's deadline, as have outfielder Randy Arozarena and third baseman Isaac Paredes – both All-Stars in their own right. Tampa Bay is 51-50 on the season, good for fourth in the AL East and sixth in the race for the three AL Wild Card spots.

The Rays earned a split against the Yankees without Díaz, and they opened up their series with the Blue Jays with a win as well. It remains to be seen if he will join the team before they leave Toronto, or if he will even be ready for the weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds back in St. Petersburg either.

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