Mesa went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional run scored and a walk in Wednesday's 7-2 win against Atlanta. He was also caught stealing on his one attempt.
Mesa popped his first home run since coming off of the injured list (hamstring) at the beginning of September. The left-swinging outfielder has been hot at the plate while hitting .367 (11-for-30) with four RBI since his return, and he's currently sporting a five-game hitting streak.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Sitting Thursday
Rotowire
Mesa is not in the lineup Thursday against the Rangers.
Mesa has gone 3-for-8 across the two games he's played in since returning from a strained left hamstring Tuesday. He'll receive some rest Thursday while Jonny DeLuca gets the start in right field and bats fifth.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Three hits in return to lineup Tuesday
Rotowire
Mesa went 3-for-4 with two runs scored in Tuesday's 6-2 win over the Mets.
With Jonny DeLuca getting the nod in center field against southpaw Sean Manaea and Ryan Vilade manning first base in place of Jonathan Aranda, Mesa was the last man standing on the right field depth chart. He made only his second start of the season against a same-handed pitcher and came through with a surprisingly productive effort, tying his season high in hits and crossing the plate in the third and eighth innings. It was Mesa's first game action since Aug. 18 due to a hamstring strain, but he may be able to escape getting pigeon-holed as a platoon player if he keeps it up -- over 48 career plate appearances against left-handed pitching, the 24-year-old has a .302/.348/.465 slash line and just a 14.6 percent strikeout rate.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Comes off IL
Rotowire
The Rays reinstated Mesa (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday.
The 24-year-old has been sidelined since Aug. 18 due to a strained left hamstring, but he's ready to rejoin the active roster after going 4-for-18 with two homers during a five-game rehab assignment. Mesa and Jonny DeLuca could operate as a platoon in right field, with Mesa holding the advantage for playing time as a left-handed hitter.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Slated for activation Tuesday
Rotowire
Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Mesa (hamstring) will be activated from the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Mesa played five rehab games with Triple-A Durham, going 4-for-18 with a pair of home runs. The 24-year-old landed on the IL in mid-August with a strained left hamstring. Once back on the active roster, Mesa will likely be mixed and matched with Jonny DeLuca in right field.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Scheduled for rehab assignment
Rotowire
Mesa (hamstring) will embark on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Wednesday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
Mesa landed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 19 after aggravating a left hamstring injury. Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters Monday that Mesa will play "a couple of games" in Durham, and if all goes well, the 24-year-old outfielder could be back with the parent club when eligible to come off the IL on Saturday.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Good to go Tuesday
Rotowire
Mesa (hamstring) is starting in right field and batting sixth Tuesday against the Blue jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The 24-year-old didn't start the past three games after exiting Friday's contest due to left hamstring tightness, but he's back in action Tuesday against Toronto righty Jose Soriano. Mesa has been performing well at the plate lately with five extra-base hits (two homers) and a .955 OPS across his last eight games.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Omitted from lineup Sunday
Rotowire
Mesa (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles.
Mesa exited Friday's 6-5 loss after seven innings due to left hamstring tightness and will be left out of the starting nine for a second straight day. According to MLB.com, manager Kevin Cash labeled Mesa as day-to-day and said that the young outfielder is "going to be OK," so Mesa appears likely to avoid a stint on the injured list. Mesa was able to make a pinch-hitting appearance in Saturday's 4-3 extra-inning loss, which suggests that his absence Sunday may have more to do with a lefty (Trevor Rogers) starting for the Orioles than the hamstring injury.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Sitting out Saturday
Rotowire
Mesa (hamstring) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Baltimore, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Mesa was pulled from Friday's contest due to tightness in his left hamstring, and he'll take a day off Saturday to heal. Jonny DeLuca will fill in as Tampa Bay's right fielder and bat sixth.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Dealing with hamstring tightness
Rotowire
Mesa was removed from Friday's game against the Orioles with left hamstring tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Manager Kevin Cash said after the game that he doesn't believe Mesa is dealing with anything serious and can be considered day-to-day. If Mesa ends up having to sit out a game or two, Jonny DeLuca would figure to take over as Tampa Bay's right fielder.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Goes yard Saturday
Rotowire
Mesa went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Mariners.
Mesa has gone 5-for-11 with four extra-base hits over his last three games. The outfielder got the Rays on the board Saturday with his blast in the fourth inning. Mesa is now batting .220 with a .754 OPS, nine homers, 19 RBI, 19 runs scored, five stolen bases, three doubles and two triples over 50 contests this season. He continues to work primarily in a strong-side platoon role.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Logs fifth steal
Rotowire
Mesa went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base in Friday's 2-1 win over the Mariners.
Mesa has a pair of multi-hit efforts over his last two games after going 0-for-14 over the previous four contests. The outfielder's inconsistency at the plate will likely lead to him remaining in a strong-side platoon role in right field for the foreseeable future. Mesa is batting .219 with a .739 OPS, eight home runs, five steals, 18 RBI, 18 runs scored, three doubles and two triples over 155 plate appearances this season.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Left out of lineup vs. lefty
Rotowire
Mesa is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The left-handed hitter will retreat to the bench for the series finale while southpaw Anthony Kay toes the rubber for the White Sox. Jonny DeLuca will replace Mesa in right field and bat sixth.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Idle against southpaw
Rotowire
Mesa is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians.
The left-handed hitter will hit the bench for the second time in the series, with both of his absences coming against lefty starters. Jonny DeLuca will get the call in right field in place of Mesa, who has produced a .265/.339/.592 slash line with five home runs, three stolen bases, eight runs and nine RBI through 17 games in July.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Two RBI in win
Rotowire
Mesa went 2-for-3 with two RBI in Wednesday's 4-2 win against the Blue Jays.
Mesa opened the scoring for the Rays in the second inning with an RBI single that plated Chandler Simpson and then provided a much-needed insurance run with a sixth-inning knock off Jeff Hoffman that drove home Junior Caminero. Mesa's bat has come alive in July after a rough June, and he's homered in three of his last four games while recording five RBI. With the recent surge, the 24-year-old has boosted his season slash line to .231/.319/.481 with eight home runs and 17 RBI over 120 plate appearances across 38 games.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Mesa is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game in Toronto.
Mesa had homered in three straight contests -- including in Monday's series opener -- but he'll grab a seat Tuesday. Jonny DeLuca will handle right field for the Rays.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Homers in third-straight game
Rotowire
Mesa went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during the Rays' 7-1 win over the Blue Jays on Monday.
Mesa got the Rays' offense in gear with a solo homer off Dylan Cease in the first inning. Mesa has gone yard in three consecutive games, and five of his eight home runs this season have come over his last nine appearances. He has a .779 OPS with three steals and 15 RBI over 116 plate appearances this season.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: In Friday's lineup for Simpson
Rotowire
Mesa will start in left field and bat sixth against the Astros on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Chandler Simpson was initially slated to start but was scratched from Friday's lineup due to sore right index and middle fingers, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Mesa will now start in left field while Cedric Mullins and Jonny DeLuca man center and right, respectively.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Claiming fourth straight start
Rotowire
Mesa will start in right field and bat cleanup Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
Though he appeared to be at risk of seeing a steep reduction in playing time after Jonny DeLuca returned from the injured list June 19, Mesa seems to be holding steady as a strong-side platoon player in the Tampa Bay outfield. Mesa will be included in the starting nine for a fourth straight matchup versus a right-hander (Merrill Kelly) after going 3-for-10 with a home run, a double, a walk, three RBI and two runs in the previous three contests.
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Rays' Victor Mesa: Idle against lefty
Rotowire
Mesa is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Nationals.
The left-handed hitter will hit the bench for the second time in the series, as the Nationals send southpaw Andrew Alvarez to the hill Sunday. Mesa could struggle to find consistent playing time versus righties as well, after the Rays brought Jonny DeLuca back from the injured list Friday. Despite logging just nine of his 55 plate appearances against same-handed pitching since his May 24 call-up from Triple-A Durham, Mesa is slashing a meager .174/.296/.304 with two home runs, sevens runs and five RBI.
