TAMPA, Fla. – The trio of Kameron Misner, Jake Mangum, and Chandler Simpson would have made a heck of an outfield at Triple-A Durham this season. Little could anyone have known that all three would be with the Rays at Steinbrenner Field on Friday evening.
The left-handed hitting Simpson was the latest to arrive in the big leagues when he was summoned from Durham on Friday afternoon and joined the team early in the Rays’ game against the Yankees. He did not play in the 1-0 loss.
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“The whole way I was thinking about everything that it took to get here and trying to stay in the moment,” said the 24-year-old Simpson, of the flight from Durham and connecting flight from Atlanta. “I want to prove to everybody that my game plays. I know there are some doubts, but I have proved it at every level. What’s one more?”
MLB Pipeline ranks Simpson as the Rays’ No. 7 prospect. The Atlanta native and product of Georgia Tech, who was called up when Richie Palacios was placed on the injured list with a right knee sprain, stole 104 bases while hitting a minor-league best .355 last season between High Class-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery.
“He adds an element to any lineup with how fast he is, his (ability to make contact), so I think he can get an opportunity here, a little bit of a runway,” said manager Kevin Cash. “I don’t know if it will be a short stint, long stint.”
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The 5-foot-11 and 170-pound Simpson, who said his parents will be in attendance this weekend, has only 38 extra-base hits in 994 minor league at-bats. He was hitting .301 with a triple in 17 games with the Bulls while playing mostly in center.
“With Misner, Mangum and (Christopher) Morel, they have played center, but they have also played the corners while Chandler has been predominately in center, so I think we will roll with that,” said Cash.
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