Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Chandler Simpson’s right foot is officially good to go for the 2026 American League Division Series (ALDS) opener against the New York Yankees. His healthy feet are considered a primary key to defeating their division rivals.
Simpson missed the final few games of the regular season after fouling a ball off his right foot on September 25 against Philadelphia. However, following a week of rest, team workouts, and medical clearance, manager Kevin Cash confirmed that the speedy outfielder will be deployed in left field for Game 1 on Saturday.
Simpson’s Feet Are Critical To Rays Success Against Yankees
Simpson plays an incredibly unique, throwback “small-ball” style of baseball that directly disrupts the Yankees. Blessed with elite wheels as we like to call it, Simpson completely defies modern launch-angle trends. He finished the 2026 regular season with zero home runs in 151 games, yet managed a stellar .306 batting average (second-best in the AL). Simpson made history becoming the first qualified MLB player to bat .300 or higher with zero home runs in a season since Luis Castillo in 1999.
Speaking with reporters ahead of Saturday’s series opener, Simpson addressed the lack of homers and why it’s not an issue for him, his teammates or team brass.
“There’s a lot of people that say, like, ‘Why do you have a zero in front of your home runs?’” Simpson relayed. “And I’m like, ‘Well, come to the game and you’ll see what happens when I go up there.’”
Simpson Expecting Crazy Environment On Saturday
When asked about how he anticipates the environment to be at Tropicana Field on Saturday, the speedster had plenty to say.
“Most definitely,” he said. “It being not only my first (in the postseason) but a lot of people’s first — granted, we have a lot of young guys.
“Definitely looking forward to the environment, situations, how everybody handles it and just dealing with it all. It’ll be fun to take it all in.”
Simpson Is A Demon On The Base Paths
He led the American League with 46 stolen bases. When healthy, his legs put immense pressure on New York’s pitching and catching defense, essentially turning every single or bunt into a scoring opportunity.
He recorded 40 infield hits this season by routing routine grounders with maxed-out sprint speeds. Even Yankees manager Aaron Boone noted earlier in the year that Simpson is “as fast as it gets” and a persistent thorn in their side.
With the underdog Rays looking to utilize their speed and elite pitching to stall the Yankees, having a fully recovered, 100% mobile Chandler Simpson at the top of the lineup gives Tampa Bay its best weapon to ignite the offense.
