ATLANTA \u2014 Rays baseball operations president Erik Neander was watching on TV Tuesday night when the moment struck him.<\/p>\n
As the National League team came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning, the three active Rays All-Stars were on the field together.<\/p>\n
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Drew Rasmussen was on the mound to pitch his inning. Jonathan Aranda took over at first base. Junior Caminero, who was in the starting lineup, stayed in at third.<\/p>\n
Plus their fourth star, Brandon Lowe, who was inactive due to left oblique soreness, was watching from the top step of the dugout.<\/p>\n
That all four were in Atlanta, as part of the squad of the American League\u2019s best players<\/a>, was one thing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s special,\u201d Neander said by phone Wednesday.<\/p>\n More so, how each of the four got there.<\/p>\n Lowe was a 2015 draft pick who improved dramatically in the Rays\u2019 minor-league system and is now the longest-tenured player.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Aranda has been in the organization nearly as long, a product of their international program, signing as a 17-year-old from Tijuana, and this year maximizing his long-awaited opportunity to play every day.<\/p>\n Rasmussen was first a draft pick \u2014 the Rays didn\u2019t sign him in 2017 due to medical concerns \u2014 and then after reaching the majors with Milwaukee became a 2021 trade acquisition with the endorsement of the pro scouts.<\/p>\n And Caminero \u2014 who at 22 made the first of what may be many appearances in the midsummer classic \u2014 is also a product of multiple departments in the Rays organization: He was scouted as an amateur, acquired in trade in November 2021 as an 18-year-old after one pro season, and then developed by the Rays staff into one of the game\u2019s best young talents.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir collective journeys have involved every part of our organization and there\u2019s a lot of pride that comes with that,\u201d Neander said. \u201cWe\u2019re so happy for them and their families to have had the experience in Atlanta.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The players enjoyed the group dynamic and the camaraderie \u2014 including the private jets to and from Atlanta \u2014 and the shared success.<\/p>\n As much as Lowe, 31, wanted to be the fourth Ray on the field, he, too, appreciated what he saw, noting Aranda and Caminero each got a hit, and Rasmussen worked a 1-2-3 inning.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing their teammate, being kind of that older guy that\u2019s trying to \u2014 I can\u2019t even say like help usher them into this league because they\u2019re well established at this point and know what they\u2019re doing \u2014 but there is kind of that cool older brother moment,\u201d Lowe said.<\/p>\n \u201cThese guys have come full circle. They\u2019re bona fide All-Stars. They\u2019re here. They\u2019re legit.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Aranda said it was even better doing it together.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it was excellent for the team,\u201d said Aranda via team interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. \u201cNot only that we were in there at the same time, but the three of us were able to have good games.\u201d<\/p>\n Assistant GM Kevin Ibach said the players should enjoy what they did.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was definitely special seeing those guys on the field together on a national stage,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know that we will lean on them heavily these next few months to achieve our goals as a team, but what a cool individual moment as they represented the Rays well in Atlanta.\u201d<\/p>\n After losing 12 of their last 16 games, and eight of 10 on the three-city road trip, the Rays are hoping the break \u2014 for those who worked in Atlanta and those who got a chance to recharge elsewhere \u2014 will do them well.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cLooking past the break, the last few days should serve as a strong reminder about the talent on this team and what they are capable of accomplishing,\u201d Neander said.<\/p>\n In the swing<\/p>\n Reviews from players, MLB officials and fans were good with the swing-off \u2014 a modified home run derby \u2014 to break the 6-6 tie after nine innings.<\/p>\n Aranda, who came close but was unable to keep the AL team alive, not hitting any homers in the three final swings of the night, said it was a good experience.<\/p>\n And he enjoyed his moment on the world stage.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody\u2019s watching, and I didn\u2019t think it was going to be easy,\u201d Aranda said. \u201cI stood up there just to have fun, and that\u2019s what I did.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The tiebreaker didn\u2019t include some of the bigger-name All-Stars \u2014 such as Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani \u2014 as some starters leave when taken out of the game.<\/p>\n Plus both managers said that when they made their lists on Monday they wanted to go with players who would be in the game late and thus still be loose and ready to hit.<\/p>\n AL\/Yankees manager Aaron Boone still thought it was a great way to determine a winner and could become more common.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be interesting to see where that goes,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s probably a world where you could see that in the future, where maybe it\u2019s in some regular-season mix. I mean, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if people start talking about it like that.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, I don\u2019t think that should happen, necessarily, or would at any time in the near future. But I\u2019ve got to say, it was pretty exciting. Like all of a sudden, here we go. And the camaraderie that you kind of build these last couple days with the team, I think went into overdrive there. …<\/p>\n \u201cOur side, to see how excited they were out there, it\u2019s like wiffle ball in the back yard. Here we go. Let\u2019s do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter<\/a> to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.<\/p>\n Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast<\/a> to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.<\/p>\n Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. 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