TAMPA — Shane Baz is hoping to pick up on his streak of four effective starts before the All-Star break, but still thinks the rest has served him well.

Baz’s break consisted of two days off and bringing his dog Gator along for some workouts at Steinbrenner Field.

Advertisement

“It was a lot of fun,” Baz said Sunday. “Definitely feeling refreshed, and the body feels good.”

An important part of Baz’s positivity is improved control. Baz was not pleased with his command of his pitching arsenal last year, and even at points this season. Now, he is feeling much more in a groove.

“I have the weapons back,” Baz said. “Now it’s just using them right and pitch execution. It’s always nice whenever you get to focus on just that, and not trying to work on pitch shapes and stuff like that.”

Crucial in Baz’s improved feel has been an uptick in his cutter usage.

“I think that was big,” he said. “Having something that I can run in on lefties and kind of run off of a righty bat that looks like a fastball is just really nice to have. It’s not too much of a swing-and-miss pitch, but it’s more of a weak-contact pitch, which … can make your life easier, especially if you have good command of it.”

Advertisement

After a series win against the division rival Orioles, Baz is also feeling optimistic about his team.

“All the confidence in the world in us,” he said.

And are dogs allowed in the Rays clubhouse? Baz is still not quite sure.

“Don’t tell Cashy,” he joked.

Thaiss faces former team

As Baz prepares for Monday night’s start against the White Sox, catcher Matt Thaiss, a member of the Chicago team last season, will be among the people he leans on.

“I’ll definitely pick his brain,” Baz said. “He’s been really impressive so far with his game planning. He’s very smart about how he wants to pitch to guys.”

The White Sox have a good mix of young and veteran bats, said Thaiss, but the series preparation stays consistent, even when facing a former team for the first time.

Advertisement

Injury updates

Brandon Lowe was wearing a boot after leaving Saturday’s game with a plantar fasciitis flare-up in his left foot, manager Kevin Cash said pregame Sunday. Cash added that he does not know if that is a positive or negative development, and had no further updates on Lowe postgame.

Shane McClanahan will throw a bullpen session Monday and will start Thursday for Triple-A Durham on one extra day of rest.

Simpson’s streak ends

Rookie Chandler Simpson’s hitting streak ended after an 0-5 showing from the leadoff spot. At 18 games, it was the best active streak in the majors and the longest from a rookie since Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser had a 17-game stretch in 2024. Simpson’s streak goes down as the best by a rookie in Rays history.

Miscellany

Ian Seymour made his third career appearance Sunday after the rain delay, allowing two hits and zero runs in two innings of work. Seymour’s first appearance came June 9 in Boston, when he pitched two innings and was awarded the win after the Rays beat the Red Sox 10-8 in 11 innings. He also pitched in a July 13 loss to Boston. “(He) looked good,” Cash said. “Commanded the ball where he wanted to throw it, got some swing and miss, got some soft contact, did a nice job.” … Yandy Díaz extended his on-base streak at Steinbrenner Field to 18 games with a single in the first inning. He has hits in 16 of those games and a .420 batting average during that stretch. Díaz also has an 11-game hitting streak against the Orioles. … The announced attendance of 9,195 was the ninth time in 56 home games the Rays didn’t sell out Steinbrenner Field, with a capacity of 10,046.

Advertisement

• • •

Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook.