Yankees vs. Rays MLB Preview and Best Bet

Losing three of four games to the first-place Red Sox over the weekend seems to have ended the Yankees’ hopes of making a run at the American League East. Now New York will travel to Tampa for a three-game series that could determine if the Wild Card is a reasonable goal, of if the Yankees need to look to sell at the deadline. The Rays, meanwhile, will try to continue to put pressure on the Sox as they pull within a game and a half of the top spot. Let’s check out their MLB odds!

New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Tuesday, 27 July, 2021 – 7:10 PM ET at Tropicana Field

With the MLB trade deadline looming at the end of the week, the New York Yankees are coming to some conclusions about their chances this season, and they can’t be pleased with the answers. New York lost three of four in Boston over the weekend, falling nine and a half games back in the American League East and essentially ending any reasonable hopes the team might have had of making a run at the divisional title.

Now the Yankees head to second-place Tampa to try to see if the Wild Card is still within reach. New York is currently three and a half games out of the second spot. Yankees brass has said repeatedly that they’ll be buyers at the deadline, but if things look dire in Tampa, it’s possible the team could reconsider its position as final offers are flying around.

Tampa, meanwhile, has won five of six but hasn’t cut into Boston’s lead at all as the Red Sox have been equally hot. The Rays started their streak a game and a half out and, despite catching Boston for a day over the weekend, they open the series against the Yankees still a game and a half back.

Help on the Way

The Yankees have been shorthanded since the All-Star Break with several key players on the COVID list after testing positive over the break. New Ork got Nestor Cortes, Jonathan Loaisiga and Gio Urshela back in Boston over the weekend and appears on the verge of adding two more major contributors.

Aaron Judge took batting practice in Tampa on Monday’s off day and also did defensive drills in right field. He was joined by catcher Kyle Higashioka in the cage. Both players are expected back at some point during the series against the Rays, although it wasn’t clear that they’d be read for Tuesday’s opener. Manager Aaron Boone said the players needed to pass cardio exams.

It appears the team is optimistic about Higashioka, however, since they sent down one of the other catchers on the roster, Rob Brantly, after trading for Pittsburgh reliever Clay Holmes. The team is also close to getting back Luke Voit, who has been on the injured list with knee inflammation. He joined Judge and Higashioka in taking batting practice on Monday. The Yankees will start Jordan Montgomery, who is 3-5, 3.96 this year but hasn’t recorded a win since June, taking three July losses despite pitching relatively well.

Already Dealing

The Rays didn’t wait until Friday’s trade deadline to get to dealing. While winning three of four games over Cleveland this weekend, Tampa was also busy on the trading block. The Rays acquired 41-year-old designated hitter Nelson Cruz from the Twins. The move addressed a weak spot in the Tampa lineup. Rays DHs were near the bottom of the American League with a .702 OPS this season. Cruz arrives with 19 home runs and a .907 OPS. He went deep in his first at bat with the team.

Tampa has just two games left in National League parks this season, so the fact that Cruz can’t play the field won’t be an issue until a possible World Series appearance. The Rays also expect to get back outfielder Manuel Margot for the Yankees series. Margot has been out since early July with a hamstring issue, but he looked good in a weekend Triple-A rehab assignment and should be activated before Tuesday’s game. The Rays will start lefty Shane McClanahan, who is 4-3, 3.88. He has been strong over the last month, holding the last five opponents to a .565 OPS.

The Pick

The Rays have had the Yankees’ number over the past two seasons and certainly are in New York’s head. While the Yankees are desperate, Tampa has the edge in talent, momentum and on the mound for Tuesday’s opener. For our MLB picks, look for the Rays to put another nail in the coffin containing New York’s season.

The Pick: Rays (-142) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)

Rays (-142)

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*The pick reflects the line at the moment the writer made the play, the odds at the beginning of this article show the live line movement. Since the lines might vary, don’t forget to refer back to our live odds.

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