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Rays call up Hernando High’s Christian Arroyo, put Carlos Gomez on DL

Matt Duffy expects to miss only a few days.
 
Published May 16, 2018|Updated May 16, 2018

The Rays decided to play it safe with OF Carlos Gomez's groin issue and place him on the 10-day DL, calling up INF Christian Arroyo, the Hernando High product, to add a right-handed bat.

3B Matt Duffy, who left Tuesday's game with right hamstring tightness, will stay on the active roster with plans to return to duty Friday in Anaheim.

Arroyo, the key return in the December trade of franchise cornerstone Evan Longoria to the Giants, has been off to a slow start at Triple-A Durham, hitting .200 with one homer (albeit a grand slam) in 17 games, missing time with a calf strain.

Manager Kevin Cash said they wanted to be careful with Gomez, who is hitting .200 with 49 strikeouts in 37 games.

"The way he plays, how intense he is, running the bases, playing the outfield it's probably the smartest to get him off his feet for 10 days and not allow him to aggravate it," Cash said. "It'll be  a loss. I know Carlos hasn't swung the bat the way he's capable of, but you know eventually he's going to get hot. We're still waiting. Maybe this will give him a little bit of a blow, rest his mind as much as his groin, and come back and get us going."

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With the Angels expected to start at least two lefties and with Duffy's status uncertain, Cash said Arroyo, a right-handed hitter, "will get some opportunities. He's played mostly third base but he's versatile in the fact that he can play short, second, third, we saw all of that in spring training."

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Duffy told Cash, and reporters, his hamstring felt better this morning than Tuesday night, and not as bad as it did last month when he landed on the DL. "I don't think Matt wanted to come out of the game yesterday I think he's smart enough to realize it was a smart decision to do so," he said. "We'll be smart."

With Gomez out, Cash said Johnny Field and Rob Refsnyder will get more time in  the outfield, and that Daniel Robertson could get some time in  the outfield.