The Tampa Bay Rays are coming out of the All-Star break and starting their second half of the MLB season with a tough predicament.
They will be on the road facing the Boston Red Sox and will kick things off with a day/night doubleheader. Game 1 is a makeup from a game on May 9 that was postponed and will feature Griffin Jax taking the mound against Jake Bennett.
As part of their announcement about their 27th man for the doubleheader, the Rays also revealed their starting pitcher for Game 2. Mason Englert has officially been announced as the extra player, and he will be taking the mound in the nightcap of the doubleheader.
He has been shuttling back and forth between Triple-A Durham and the Major League roster, but when pitching for Tampa Bay , Englert has been excellent of late. Since his ERA ballooned to 10.57 on April 12 against the New York Yankees , he has been as reliable as any pitcher on the staff.
Jul 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Mason Englert (59) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
His opportunities have been few and far between, making only eight appearances since that point. But he has gotten the job done whenever manager Kevin Cash has called his number, whether it is as a relief pitcher or starter.
Across eight outings and 23 innings pitched, he has a 1.57 ERA with 23 strikeouts and only five walks. He has surrendered only four earned runs, doing a great job of navigating whatever trouble he is getting in with runners on base.
His last five appearances with the Big League club have been bulk inning outings as well. He threw a season-high 5.2 innings in his last outing against the Houston Astros , taking the tough-luck loss in a 2-0 defeat. A career-high nine strikeouts were also recorded in that game.
Englert looks to be the latest success story of a relief pitcher who was converted into a starting pitcher by Tampa Bay midseason. Jax and Ian Seymour have both found a ton of success since moving into the starting rotation, and Englert is following suit.
Now, they will be relying on him to give the team productive innings against a red-hot Red Sox squad that has forced its way back into the American League playoff race. They are riding a nine-game winning streak and are a half-game behind the Seattle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot in the AL.
It will be important for Englert to give the team some length again to help save the bullpen. Everyone is well rested coming out of the break, but having a doubleheader right away and no off day until July 27 could make this a strenuous stretch on the relief staff .
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rays/onsi as Rays Announce Pitcher as 27th Man for Red Sox Doubleheader .
