Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (finger) is out of the starting lineup on Friday for the series opener against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers, but manager Kevin Cash said the speedster will be available off the bench after leaving Thursday's game against the New York Yankees with a sprained left index finger. Jonny DeLuca is starting in center field and batting sixth on Friday against Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw. The 24-year-old Chandler avoided a serious injury and could be back in there for Game 2 of the series on Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. DeLuca has hit .389 on the season but only in 36 at-bats, adding five runs scored and five stolen bases. The 27-year-old has faced Kershaw only twice in his career but has hits in both at-bats with two RBI.

The Tampa Bay Rays said that rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (finger) was removed from the game on Thursday against the New York Yankees with a left index-finger sprain, per the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. The Rays are considering Simpson as day-to-day. They didn't get such good news on All-Star first baseman Jonathan Aranda (wrist), who was also injured in the game, as they are hoping he can join them in September for the final month of the season. Fantasy managers will want to check back to see if Simpson returns to the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The most likely candidate to see extra playing time in center if Simpson's injury lingers is Jonny DeLuca. Simpson, 24, has made an immediate impact in fantasy in his first 227 MLB at-bats, entering Thursday's game with an even .300 average and 32 stolen bases.

Tampa Bay Ray rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (hand) left Thursday's game early against the division-rival New York Yankees in the Bronx with an apparent left-hand injury, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Simpson departed the game from left field after manager Kevin Cash and trainer Aaron Scott went to check on him. He went 0-for-2 in the game from the leadoff spot with a strikeout before being replaced in left field by Jake Mangum. Expect the 24-year-old speedster to get tests on his hand to determine the severity of the injury. Chandler has only played in 64 games in his first season in the MLB in 2025, but he's made an immediate impact with a .300 average (68-for-227) and 32 stolen bases. He lacks in power but makes up for it with his wheels on the basepaths. Until we know more, fantasy managers should consider Simpson day-to-day.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson is being recalled to the majors from Triple-A Durham. The speedy 2022 draft pick showed well in his first run through the majors earlier this year, hitting .285 thanks in part to a strong 88.7 percent contact rate and low 10.5 percent strikeout rate, while swiping 19 bases in just 35 games played with the big league club. The left-handed hitter went 26-for-71 (.366) at Triple-A since June 3, and was hitting .333 on the season for the Bulls with an additional 19 steals in 33 games. Simpson was widely dropped after his demotion, so he is available in over 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and although he won't help in the power department, he should provide solid batting average and superb stolen base help, while likely hitting at the top of the Rays' suddenly productive lineup, which should provide fantasy managers with assistance in the runs category. The Georgia Tech product is worthyof at least a bench spot in most 12-team leagues.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson went 3-for-5 with three singles and two stolen bases against Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday. The speedy outfielder has performed well since being sent down to Triple-A on June 3, hitting .340/.364/.415 with six stolen bases. The 24-year-old had a .632 OPS with 19 stolen bases in 35 games with the Rays, but ultimately did not do enough to justify sticking around as players returned from injury. His defense needed to be elite to stay in the lineup with his offensive profile, and he struggled in the field. Simpson will likely be in the mix to return at some point as an injury replacement and becomes interesting for managers who are desperate for steals.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson went 3-for-5 on Tuesday with a run scored and two stolen bases for Triple-A Durham. The 24-year-old has continued to hit and steal bases since he was sent back to Triple-A, batting .340 (18-for-53) with six steals in 12 games. The Rays' seventh-ranked prospect showed well during his time with the big league club, hitting .285 on the back of a solid 88.7 percent contact rate and low 10.5 percent strikeout rate, which provided him the opportunity to steal 19 bags in only 35 games played. The left-handed hitter should continue to put the bat on the ball and steal bases once he returns to the majors, and should be stashed in most leagues for when that time comes.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson went 5-for-5 with a run, an RBI, and a stolen base during their contest against Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday. This was Williams' third-straight game tallying at least one hit and second-straight game tallying at least one stolen base. Since returning to Triple-A on June 3, Simpson has been very productive at the plate, holding a .391 AVG with three stolen bases across five games. Simpson made his MLB debut earlier this season and was quite productive during his first taste of the majors, posting a .285/.315/.317 line with 19 stolen bases across 35 games. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his production with Triple-A, as he should be in the mix to return to the majors soon. Once he gets the call, he is worth adding in all category leagues given his elite speed upside.

The Tampa Bay Rays have optioned outfield prospect Chandler Simpson to Triple-A Durham. In a corresponding move, the Rays activated outfielder Jake Mangum (groin) from the 10-day injured list. Simpson was given the call to the majors in April. Through his first 35 MLB contests, the No. 7-ranked prospect in the Tampa Bay system posted a .285/.315/.317 slash line with four doubles, 11 RBI, and an impressive 19 stolen bases. His 19 stolen bases are currently the third-highest total in the American League. Under the hood, he has generated an elite .305 xBA and only struck out at a 10.5% rate. At Triple-A this season, Simpson swiped eight bags in 17 contests. With Simpson being optioned, fantasy managers should expect Mangum to see time in left field and for Christopher Morel to see more opportunities in the starting nine.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (hand, face) is back in the starting lineup for Wednesday's series finale against the visiting Houston Astros and right-hander Hunter Brown, playing left field and batting sixth. Simpson is returning to action for the first time since being pulled from Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins early due to a sore hand and some facial injuries from a hard slide into home plate. Although he didn't start the first two games of the series against Houston, the speedy 24-year-old did appear off the bench in both games and had two steals on Monday. Simpson has been a lineup regular for the Rays against right-handed pitchers since his first big-league call-up and is hitting a solid .290 (27-for-93) with 11 steals. The former second-rounder has yet to go deep and has minimal power, but the speed is worth buying.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson (hand) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the visiting Houston Astros. Simpson will miss his second straight game after injuring his right hand on a slide into home plate on Saturday against the Miami Marlins. Fantasy managers will have to check back to see if the speedy 24-year-old will be ready to go for Game 2 of the series in Tampa on Tuesday. Kameron Misner is starting in center field and batting ninth, while Christopher Morel gets the start in left field and is hitting third against Astros left-hander Colton Gordon. Simpson has yet to homer in the big leagues but has hit a cool .301 (28-for-93) in his first taste of the big leagues while providing nine steals as a lineup regular for the Rays. Nobody in Tampa's lineup on Monday has faced Gordon.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (hand) is dealing with a sore right hand. Ryan Bass of the FanDuel Sports Network reported that the young outfielder has his right hand wrapped. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their next contest on Monday evening against the Houston Astros. Simpson suffered this injury during Saturday's contest when sliding into home plate. Through his first 25 games at the MLB level, the No. 7-ranked prospect in the Tampa Bay system has posted an impressive .301/.327/.344 slash line. Simpson has flashed his elite speed as he has swiped 11 bags. While he remains sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Kameron Misner and Jose Caballero to see most of the opportunities in center field.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson (undisclosed) exited early during Saturday's contest. Simpson suffered this injury when sliding at home plate. Fantasy managers should monitor his status leading up to Sunday's contest against the Marlins, in case the team opts to give him an extra day off. Over his last five games, the No.7-ranked prospect in the Tampa Bay system has been very productive at the plate, posting a .450/.450/.600 slash line with three doubles, three RBI, and one stolen base. Through his first 25 games at the MLB level, Simpson has posted a strong .301 AVG. He has posted an elite 12.6% rate with a .292 xBA. If Simpson were to sit out on Sunday, fantasy managers should expect Kameron Misner to get the nod at center field.

Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson will start Thursday's series finale against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on the bench. Kameron Misner is starting in center field for the Rays and is hitting eighth against Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo. The left-handed-hitting Simpson will get the day off against a tough southpaw. The 24-year-old former second-rounder in 2022 has gone 16-for-60 (.267) with a double, five RBI, six stolen bases and nine runs scored for the Rays in his first 16 major-league games. As long as he remains in the big leagues with Tampa, he'll provide plenty of speed for fantasy managers in deeper formats. Misner, who debuted in the majors last year in just eight games, is batting .271 (26-for-96) with three homers and 11 RBI in 31 games in 2025. He has yet to face Luzardo in his career and should be faded in DFS.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson went 2-for-5 with two runs, one RBI, and one stolen base in Sunday's 7-5 win over the Yankees. The rookie has been as advertised through his first 14 games in the big leagues, batting .296 with six stolen bases. He has just one extra-base hit, a double, but power has never been a part of his game. Simpson should be rostered in all roto leagues, serving as a stolen base and batting average specialist who should score a lot of runs batting leadoff for the Rays.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/designated hitter Jonathan Aranda and rookie outfielder Chandler Simpson will not start on Saturday in the Bronx against the New York Yankees and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough. Righty Clarke Schmidt (side) was originally scheduled to start for the Yanks, but he was scratched due to a side issue. Curtis Mead is now starting at first base and batting fifth, while Kameron Misner will start in center field and bat seventh. Jose Caballero is in right field and in the six-hole. Aranda is hitting over .300 so far in 2025 but has gone 2-for-14 with five strikeouts against left-handed pitching, so he'll take a seat. Simpson, who also bats from the left side, is hitting .318 (14-for-44) in his first 11 big-league games, but he hasn't homered while driving in three and stealing three bases. He's just 3-for-15 against lefties.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson went 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Padres. The 24-year-old has been superb since his call-up from Triple-A, collecting a hit in each of his first eight games, going 12-for-30 (.400) with three stolen bases and a 3:4 BB:K, so he does not appear to be overmatched. He's made some spectacularplays on defense as well. A plethora of outfielder injuries was one reason for his call-up, but the 5-foot-11 speedster looks like he's ready to be a mainstay in Tampa. As electric as he's been, the Rays' seventh-ranked prospect is still available in over 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but that number should be much higher.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson went 1-for-3 with an RBI and run during their 7-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday evening. Simpson would tally his hit in the eighth inning. It was a clutch RBI single that tied the game and eventually forced extra innings, where the Rays would eventually win the game. Over his first four MLB games, Simpson has tallied at least one hit in each and posted one multi-hit game. During these four games, he has already begun to show his elite speed upside as he has swiped two bags. Earlier in the season at Triple-A, the Georgia Tech product held a stellar .301/.325/.329 line with eight stolen bases across 17 games. Given his immense speed upside, Simpson is worth targeting in all category formats.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The rookie outfielder will take a seat against southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez on Wednesday. Since being recalled, Simpson is hitting .333 with one RBI and two stolen bases in three games. He's worth an add in deep leagues and AL-only formats due to his ridiculous speed. On Wednesday, Yandy Diaz will take over the leadoff spot while Kameron Misner is in center field and bats seventh against Rodriguez. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups and pull out Simpson before first pitch.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson is starting in center field and is hitting leadoff on Tuesday against the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander Brandon Pfaadt. The Rays' No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, was called up from the minors to make his major-league debut on Saturday against the New York Yankees, and he's gone 2-for-8 with a double, RBI, stolen base, run scored and a strikeout in his first two games. This will be the second time in his first three MLB games that the 24-year-old speedster will hit leadoff for Tampa. Simpson isn't going to provide much pop for fantasy managers -- he had only one extra-base hit in his first 78 plate appearances at Triple-A Durham before his promotion -- but he's worth rostering in deeper formats for his speed, especially if he sticks in the leadoff spot and sees regular playing time.

Tampa Bay Rays outfield prospect Chandler Simpson stole his first base at the MLB level during Sunday's loss to the New York Yankees. Simpson would get on base via a forceout in the eighth inning and then proceed to swipe second base. After batting in the leadoff spot during his MLB debut on Saturday, Simpson was pushed down to the nine-hole on Sunday. However, on Sunday, the Rays were facing Yankee southpaw Max Fried. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Simpson's status as the Rays may either limit his role or keep him on the bench when facing left-handed pitchers. However, against righties, Simpson could become the top option to lead off. Last summer in the minor leagues, Simpson flashed elite speed as he swiped 104 bases across 110 contests. Fantasy managers should view the 24-year-old as a top option for speed in category formats. However, he does not carry any power upside.