18 Joey Wendle 3B

Wendle isn't starting Friday's game against the Red Sox, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Wendle will take a seat with left-hander Martin Perez on the mound for Boston. Yandy Diaz will start at third base and bat fourth.

Wendle will sit Thursday against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle hits the bench even with the right-handed Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees. Yandy Diaz gets the start at third base.

Wendle is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

The lefty-hitting Wendle will hit the bench for the second time in four games with the Yankees bringing southpaw Jordan Montgomery to the hill. Yandy Diaz will pick up a start at third base in Wendle's stead.

Wendle went 4-for-5 with two doubles in Saturday's 8-2 win over Cleveland.

Unfortunately for the 31-year-old infielder, his big night didn't result in any offense as Austin Meadows kept clearing the bases in front of him, and the hitters behind him in the Rays' order went a combined 1-for-12. Wendle has delivered two multi-hit performances in six starts since the All-Star break, batting .370 (10-for-27) over that stretch, but a crowded roster keeps him from being an everyday player no matter how hot he is.

Wendle is out of the lineup Friday against Cleveland, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

New addition Nelson Cruz should handle most of the starts at designated hitter going forward, creating even more of a logjam in what was already a crowded infield. Wendle will continue to compete for playing time at third base, shortstop and second base with Wander Franco, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe and Taylor Walls.

Wendle went 1-for-3 with an RBI triple in a win over the Orioles on Wednesday.

Wendle now has two triples in three straight seasons, and Wednesday's three-bagger snapped a 1-1 tie in the second inning. The lefty-swinging 31-year-old has played in only nine July games due to matchup considerations, but he's reached safely in eight of them while lacing four of his 10 hits during that sample for extra bases.

Wendle is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Orioles, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Wendle will be a victim of the Rays' logjam in the infield for the second time in four games. Wander Franco will cover third base in place of Wendle, who sits after going 1-for-8 with four strikeouts while starting the past two contests.

Wendle is not starting Saturday's game against Atlanta.

Despite coming off a monster, three-hit performance, Wendle, a .175 hitter against lefty pitching, is omitted from the lineup against southpaw Max Fried. Yandy Diaz will start at third base, with Ji-Man Choi playing first base.

Wendle went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's 7-6 win over Atlanta.

Wendle came out of the break hot with his seventh game of at least three hits this year. He doubled and eventually scored his first time up and then notched a pair of singles and a walk the rest of the way. The 31-year-old has now hit safely in eight of his last nine games and for the year is slashing .281/.343/.457 with seven homers, 34 RBI, 46 runs scored, six steals and an 18:63 BB:K over 283 plate appearances. Wendle has played well enough to earn the first All-Star bid of his career but is still being platooned against left-handers, which hurts his upside.

Wendle is not starting Sunday against the Blue Jays and lefty Robbie Ray, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Wendle struck out five times while going 2-for-8 with a run scored during the first two games of the series. Yandy Diaz will shift to the hot corner for Sunday's series finale as Wendle starts the game on the bench.

Wendle isn't starting the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader against Cleveland, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle went 1-for-3 with a double and two runs in Wednesday's matinee, but he'll retreat to the bench with left-hander Sam Hentges starting the second game. Wander Franco will shift to third base while Taylor Walls starts at shortstop.

Wendle is not starting Monday's game against Cleveland, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Another matchup versus a lefty, another day on the bench for Wendle. The utility player may enter the game at some point though, as Cleveland starter Logan Allen doesn't figure to pitch too deep into the game before turning things over to a righty-heavy bullpen. Yandy Diaz starts at third base Monday, with Ji-Man Choi playing first base.

Wendle is on the bench for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The 31-year-old has hit a lowly .177 off left-handed pitching in 2021, so he understandably gets a day off as the Rays face Robbie Ray. Wendle has struggled overall recently, hitting .156 with just one RBI in his last nine games. Wander Franco gets the start at third base Sunday.

Wendle isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Wendle will take a seat for the second time in the last three games with left-hander Jon Lester starting for the Nationals. Yandy Diaz will shift to third base while Ji-Man Choi starts at first base.

Wendle is out of the lineup Sunday against the Angels, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Wendle started the past four games and will take a seat Sunday against left-hander Patrick Sandoval. Yandy Diaz will work at the hot corner while Ji-Man Choi starts at first base.

Wendle is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

The Rays' flexible roster means it's not immediately clear how the arrival of Wander Franco will affect the rest of the team's playing time. Franco starts in Wendle's usual spot at third base for his MLB debut Tuesday, but it will take more than one game to determine how Wendle's role will change. Wendle is hitting a strong .294/.350/.491 on the season, though it wouldn't be a surprise to see him sitting more often against lefties like Tuesday's starter Eduardo Rodriguez going forward.

Wendle, who went 1-for-4 with a run in an extra-inning loss to the Mariners on Sunday, is hitting .367 (11-for-30) with three doubles, one home run, five RBI, a walk, a stolen base, a hit-by-pitch and four runs over his last eight games.

The hot stretch includes a quartet of multi-hit efforts, the most impressive being a 3-for-4 tally in Saturday's victory over the Mariners. Wendle's season slash line now stands at .292/.350/.491 across 234 plate appearances, and he's already equaled his career high with seven home runs.

Wendle isn't starting Friday's game against the Mariners, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Wendle had started each of the last six games, but he'll retreat to the bench with southpaw Yusei Kikuchi starting for the Mariners on Friday. Mike Brosseau will start at third base and bat fifth.

Wendle went into Sunday's series finale against the Orioles having gone 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, three RBI and two runs over the last two games.

The versatile infielder pushed his season line to an outstanding .293/.353/.505 with the mini-surge while also hitting the 30-RBI mark for only the second time in his career. Wendle has also regularly put good wood on the ball, as 25 of his 55 hits have gone for extra bases.

Wendle is not in the starting lineup Friday against the Orioles, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Wendle is out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game with the Rays set to face another southpaw in Keegan Akin. The infielder homered off the bench Wednesday and could certainly play a role as a pinch hitter again Friday. Mike Brosseau will start at third base and bat fifth.