28 Francisco Mejia C

Mejia went 1-for-4 with a triple and a run in an extra-inning win over Cleveland on Thursday.

He continues to capitalize on a rare string of starts due to the absence of Mike Zunino (hip), with Thursday's production pushing Mejia's average over the last five games to a blistering .438 (7-for-16). The backstop's three-bagger was just an extension of a favorable pattern of putting very good wood on the ball -- four of Mejia's seven hits during the aforementioned span have now gone for extra bases. Although the Associated Press reports Zunino wanted to play Thursday but was overruled by manager Kevin Cash in favor of one more day of rest, Mejia may have earned himself at least a slight uptick in playing time going forward with his recent performances.

Mejia went 2-for-4 with two runs in a win over the Orioles on Wednesday.

The reserve backstop drew another start for Mike Zunino (hip) and once again came through at the plate. Mejia has now hit safely in four straight games (three starts), quickly pushing his average and OPS up by 20 and 62 points, respectively.

Mejia went 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, two runs scored and five RBI in Tuesday's 9-3 win over the Orioles.

The catcher launched a two-run shot off John Means in the fourth inning, then added some insurance with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth off Shaun Anderson. Mejia's outburst was either shocking or long overdue, depending on your perspective -- he hadn't gone yard since May 23 and hadn't even collected an RBI since June 22. On the season, he's slashing .255/.317/.416 with four homers and 19 RBI through 50 games.

Mejia went 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run in a loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.

The reserve backstop came through at the plate yet again in another spot start, forging the only multi-hit effort of the night for the Rays. Mejia has now hit safely in four of the last five starts, and while his .256/.317/.388 slash line is uninspiring overall, it's arguably serviceable for a backup catcher, especially when considering one-third of his 33 hits have gone for extra bases (eight doubles, three home runs).

Mejia went 2-for-3 with an RBI single in a loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday.

Mejia snapped an 0-for-8 skid that had encompassed his last three games with Tuesday's production, which pushed his season average back up to .246. The reserve backstop has been a reasonably effective performer in clutch situations, posting a serviceable .259/.323/.444 slash line over 32 plate appearances with runners in scoring position.

Mejia went 2-for-3 with a walk and a run in a win over the Orioles on Sunday.

The backup catcher snapped out of a brief two-game slump with Sunday's multi-hit effort, his first since May 23. Mejia has proven reasonably productive with his opportunities thus far this season, posting a .252/.319/.393 slash line with nine extra-base hits and 13 RBI over 120 plate appearances, figures he's complemented with a modest 17.5 percent strikeout rate, the lowest of his career.

Mejia is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mike Zunino appears to be manager Kevin Cash's preferred option behind the dish, at least for the time being. Monday will mark the fourth time in the last five games that Mejia is not in the starting nine.

Mejia is out of the lineup Sunday versus the Phillies, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia will head to the bench for the third time in the past four games Sunday. Mike Zunino receives another start behind the plate for the Rays.

Mejia will sit for the second straight day Thursday against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia and Mike Zunino have split time very evenly this season when both have been healthy, so the fact that Zunino has now started three times in four games doesn't necessarily indicate a shift in the balance between the pair. Mejia owns a career-best .784 OPS so far this year, though Zunino has outperformed him, posting an .869 OPS, another career best.

Mejia is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia heads to the bench while he and Mike Zunino alternate turns behind the dish for the sixth game in a row. Both catchers have been exceptionally productive with the bat this season, so expect a fairly even timeshare at catcher to remain in place for the foreseeable future.

Mejia is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia was behind the dish for the Rays' 6-4 win Sunday afternoon and enjoyed another productive day at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with a solo home run. The 25-year-old has left the yard in both of his past two starts to improve his OPS to .807 on the season, but he's still stuck in a timeshare with the similarly productive Mike Zunino (.904 OPS), who will catch Monday's series finale.

Mejia went 1-for-4 with two walks and a grand slam in Friday's 9-7 extra-innings win over the Blue Jays.

His second homer of the season came in dramatic fashion as he drove a Jeremy Beasley offering over the fence in right field with the bases loaded in the 12th inning to break open a 5-5 tie. Mejia hadn't driven in a run since April 21, and the catcher is slashing only .185/.353/.296 through 34 plate appearances in May even after Friday's heroics.

Mejia will sit Tuesday against the Orioles, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia returned from an intercostal strain Sunday and started right away, but he won't be in the lineup on an everyday basis. He and Mike Zunino split time behind the plate fairly evenly prior to Mejia's injury and will continue to do so going forward.

Mejia (ribs) was activated from the 10-day injured list Sunday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Mejia reported significant improvement with his left intercostal strain and will end up returning after the minimum. Kevan Smith was designated for assignment. A top prospect in the Cleveland and San Diego systems, Mejia has failed to live up to that billing, but he's off to a great start this season (.300/.348/.450) and should slot back in to the No. 1 catcher role for Tampa Bay.

Mejia (ribs) is feeling "significantly better," according to manager Kevin Cash, and the backstop could be activated Sunday when first eligible, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia was officially placed on the injured list May 8 retroactive to two days prior, which indeed makes Sunday his first opportunity to return to action. The 25-year-old was particularly standing out for his offensive contributions prior to his injury, slashing .300/.348/.450 across 67 plate appearances while alternating time behind the dish with Mike Zunino.

Mejia (ribs) was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to May 6, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Mejia was scratched from Friday's lineup due to left intercostal discomfort, although it wasn't believed to be a serious injury. He apparently wasn't feeling better Saturday and will now spend time on the injured list. Mike Zunino should serve as the primary catcher in Mejia's absence while Kevan Smith should be available as a backup.

Mejia (ribs) isn't believed to be dealing with a serious injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia was scratched from Friday's lineup due to a left intercostal strain, but manager Kevin Cash said that the catcher could play if needed. A better idea of Mejia's status should come into focus Saturday, but it's unlikely that he'll miss significant time.

Mejia was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Athletics with left intercostal discomfort, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.

Mejia had been out of the lineup for two of the last three games, and he'll be a late scratch Friday due to an intercostal issue. Mike Zunino will take over behind the dish and bat sixth.

Mejia isn't in the lineup Thursday against the Angels, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Mejia will be out of the lineup for the second time in the last three games after he went hitless with a strikeout in three at-bats Wednesday. Mike Zunino will start behind the plate and bat seventh.

Mejia is not in Tuesday's lineup against the Angels, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

He's hit .286/.324/.514 with one home run over his last 10 games and has started three of the last seven. While Mejia is the superior offensive catcher to Mike Zunino, who is starting behind the dish Tuesday, they'll maintain a close playing time split due to Zunino's superior defense.