Blue Jays AL East Recap: Blue Jays Regress

Rays Appear Poised for Breakout
23-23

The Tampa Bay Rays have always managed to find success spoiling the fun of their division foes. But fresh off series wins against the Cleveland Indians and the Yankees, the Rays appear poised to strike at a soft American League East. Less than five games behind the division leader, the Rays could astonish the Baseball world as key players return from the disabled list one by one. Tampa Bay is managing to keep pace while their players are on the shelf (something the Jays have largely failed to do). The Rays could be just a few weeks away from surging into the competitive scene.

While the Rays received word that Shawn Tolleson would indeed miss most of the year, most of the rest of their injured stars are close to making it back to the team. In the mean time, the offensive contributions of Evan Longoria, Corey Dickerson, and Derek Norris propelled the Rays offense against some sturdy foes. Tampa Bay’s rotation struggled slightly, but their bullpen kicked it into gear and gave them a solid week of competition. The Rays will square off against a weak Angels team before facing the strong Twins.

Next: Blue Jays: Navarro takes time off after almost losing his wife

Final Takeaway:

The Tampa Bay Rays have thus far proven baseball fans wrong. They have hung on long enough for key players to return, and could easily surge into contention in the coming weeks.