Bad weather moves Rays-Yankees game to makeup date in September

NEW YORK - The Rays got word early Saturday what seemed obvious, that Saturday's game against the Yankees would be called off due to expected all-day rain.

The Yankees made the announcement shortly after 8:30 a.m., citing "the forecast of sustained inclement weather," which also included temperatures in the mid-50s.

The game will be made up when the Rays return to New York in the final week of the season as the first game of a split-admission doubleheader on Sept. 22, with first pitch at 1:05. The night game is scheduled for 7:05.

Waiting until September makes sense as rain is also forecast for Sunday morning and early afternoon, though there is some expectation that the game, scheduled for 1:35 p.m., can be played in late afternoon.

Drew Rasmussen was slated to start Saturday for the Rays and will be pushed back to Sunday's game. Lefty Ryan Weathers was scheduled to start Saturday for the Yankees and would seem likely to now start Sunday.

The Rays' other starters also will bump back a day, so they will have Shane McClanahan, Griffin Jax and Steven Matz face the Orioles for the series slated to start Monday.

This is the Rays' second rainout of the season. The May 9 game in Boston, also scheduled to be started by Rasmussen, was postponed and will be played as part of a July 17 doubleheader.

DeLuca out, Mesa likely up

Saturday's postponement also likely will delay the Rays announcing the expected callup of outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. to replace Jonny DeLuca, who strained his right hamstring running the bases in Friday's game.

DeLuca has had muscle issues before and had made changes to his diet and workout routine in hopes of avoiding further injuries.

"I've made changes, I've kept the changes, and that's kind of the saddest part about it," DeLuca said. "I'm gonna be back, so I'm trying to look at the positive and hopefully it's quick, but yeah, just a bummer."

Mesa, 24, was acquired just prior to the opening of spring camp in a trade from the Marlins, for whom he hit .188 over 16 games last season.

The lefty swinger was playing well at Triple-A Durham until a hamstring issue sidelined him from mid-April until Wednesday. In 18 games for the Bulls, he had a .329 average and .963 OPS. He can play all three outfield spots.

DeLuca is the second outfielder injured in the last week, as veteran Jake Fraley sustained a hernia that required surgery and will miss six to eight weeks.

The new guy

New Rays infielder Oliver Dunn is thrilled to be with the team and working on learning all the new names and faces. It's understandable since his acquisition from the White Sox's Triple-A Charlotte team was a bit of a blur.

Dunn got word of the deal in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game at Gwinnett and was booked on an 8 a.m. flight from Atlanta to Tampa so he could be at the Trop for the 1:10 game; he left his hotel around 5:15 a.m.

"Hit that beautiful Atlanta traffic real early," Dunn said. "It was like an hour-and-30-minute Uber (ride) to Atlanta (airport). It was quick. It was a tight turnaround. But it's exciting so you make it work."

He got to the Trop a little after 11, enough time to find the batting cages and run into assistant hitting coach Ozzie Timmons, who he worked with when both were with the Brewers.

Dunn, 28, said he is happy to do whatever is needed.

"I was in Triple A with the White Sox, and now I'm here on a team that's got the best record in the big leagues and is playing really great baseball," he said. So just trying to be the piece they need me to be, and help keep this thing rolling."

Familiar face

Durham manager Morgan Ensberg is with the big-league team for this road trip, part of the organization's coaching development program. With Ensberg away, Alejandro Freire is managing the Bulls. Freire is currently the team's assistant director of complex and academy development, and earlier this season lent a hand to the big-league coaching staff.

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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 10:08 AM.