Tampa Bay Rays recall OF Brian O’Grady, place Manuel Margot on the bereavement list

Prior to Tuesday night’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox at Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays announced that they have placed outfielder Manuel Margot on the bereavement list following the death of his father. They have recalled outfielder Brian O’Grady from the Port Charlotte camp.

The Rays acquired O’Grady this offseason in a deal with the Cincinnati Reds. Drafted in the eighth round of the 2014 draft, O’Grady made his big league debut with Cincinnati in 2019. He hit .190/.292/.429 with 2 HR over 48 plate appearances; five of his eight hits in the big leagues have gone for extra bases.

During the pandemic halted spring training, O’Grady showcased some of his power as he blasted two home runs and sported a 1.139 OPS over 25 plate appearances. During the abbreviated Summer Camp, O’Grady continued to make an impression as he picked up where he left off in spring training and started decimating pitches once more.

Kevin Cash has this to say on O’Grady

“We like him. We’ve seen nothing not to like about his bat. He can catch a fastball, and he works really hard.”

“It’s tough to envision a scenario where he doesn’t help us at some point.”

Our condolences to Manuel Margot and his family during this trying time.