Why have the Tampa Bay Rays put Yandy Díaz on the restricted list?

The Tampa Bay Rays put first baseman Yandy Díaz on the restricted list ahead of Saturday’s MLB game against the New York Yankees, just hours after he missed Friday’s defeat to The Pinstripers.

In their first Game back after the All-Star break, the Díaz-less Rays were comprehensively beaten 6-1 by the Yankees, who remain on the tails of the Baltimore Orioles at the top of American League East.

The loss gave the Rays a 48-49 record for the season, which leaves them in penultimate position, ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Why isn’t Yandy Díaz playing against the Yankees?

Ahead of Saturday’s game, it was revealed Díaz, one of the Rays’ key figures for several years, had been put on the restricted list after he wasn’t involved on Friday. Rays manager Kevin Cash explained that was down to unspecified “personal reasons,” which didn’t qualify for the major league bereavement/family medical emergency list.

Cash also confirmed that the move hadn’t been made because of ill-discipline. “We’re taking it day to day. Just hoping that we see him soon.”

What is the restricted list in MLB? Do players still get paid?

A player being place on the restricted list in baseball means they are not currently active, but they remain part of their team’s roster.

While the player is on the restricted list, another player is called onto the team (in this case, infielder Curtis Mead from Triple-A Durham).

Players don’t get paid while they are on the restricted list, which means Díaz will lose both salary and MLB service time. The 32-year-old has approximately $3.3 million remaining on his salary of $8 million for the 2024 season.