Barstool Bush
Predictions

Tampa Bay Rays at Los Angeles Angels

By Bush StaffUpdated 70d ago·2 min read
Tampa Bay RaysTB(40-26)
Los Angeles AngelsLAA(28-42)
0—8
FINAL
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TB
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LAA
00010340—8150

Griffin Jax (1-4, 4.15) gets the assignment for the Rays opposite José Soriano (7-4, 2.96) at 7:07 PM PT. Jax is the more interesting name on the card — he opened the year in Tampa's closer-by-committee, got shelled out of the pen, and has reinvented himself as a starter with a 1.42 ERA across his first stretch of rotation work. His last time out he punched 5 scoreless on 62 pitches in Miami, so the leash is still short.

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FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Rays(40-26)
LWWWL
0
Angels(28-42)
WWWLW
8
Best BetAngels -107
Pregame

The Angels are sitting around -1053 for a reason — they're red-hot at home and Soriano's a sub-3 ERA arm against a Rays lineup down two everyday outfielders. The price is brutal but the fair-probability number is in the mid-80s and this is the kind of spot where you don't talk yourself into a road dog just because the underlying team is better.

The Angels are the hotter team and it's not particularly close. Los Angeles has won 4 of 5, including a 13-5 demolition of the Dodgers and a 10-1 thumping of Houston, and stole Friday's series opener from Tampa 4-3. Soriano coughed up 4 earned to the Dodgers in his last start but still walked off with the W because that's the kind of run his offense is on. Mike Trout owns the Rays historically — a 1.099 OPS and 28 homers across his career against them — and he's been reaching base in double-digit games.

Tampa Bay Rays
Griffin Jax
(3-5)·3.33 ERA
Jun 7 @ Marlins
ND
5.0IP
0ER
4K
2BB
62P
06/13 Lineup
Los Angeles Angels
José Soriano
(8-4)·3.32 ERA
Jun 7 @ Dodgers
W
6.0IP
4ER
2K
2BB
88P
06/13 Lineup
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
(40-26)
Jun 13L@ Angels3-4
Jun 10Wvs Red Sox7-5
Jun 9Wvs Red Sox4-3
Jun 8Wvs Red Sox3-1
Jun 7L@ Marlins1-4
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels
(28-42)
Jun 13Wvs Rays4-3
Jun 11Wvs Astros3-2
Jun 10Wvs Astros10-1
Jun 9Lvs Astros4-5
Jun 7W@ Dodgers13-5

The flip side: the Rays are still 40-26 and 12 games clear of this Angels team in the standings. They took 3 straight from Boston before flying west and Friday's loss was a one-run game decided late. This isn't a team in freefall, it's a team that traveled cross-country, lost a tight one, and now has to navigate a bullpen game dressed up as a Jax start in front of a lineup that's seeing the ball.

Injuries are doing a lot of the talking on both sides. Tampa is missing Jake Fraley (hernia, 6-to-8 weeks), Ryan Pepiot (out for the season after hip surgery), and a stack of relievers including Craig Kimbrel, Edwin Uceta, and Jesse Scholtens. The Angels are without Jorge Soler, Anthony Rendon, Yoan Moncada, Adam Frazier, and Vaughn Grissom, and Nolan Schanuel sat Friday with a calf. The depth chart in Anaheim is duct tape — they're winning anyway.

Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
(13)
  • Day-To-DayAustin Vernon (RP) — The Rays have shut Vernon down from throwing due to right elbow soreness, per MLB.com.05/08
  • Day-To-DayAlfredo Zarraga (RP) — no05/08
  • 10-Day-ILJonny DeLuca (RF) — DeLuca (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.06/08
  • 10-Day-ILJake Fraley (RF) — Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Fraley (hernia) will require surgery and will face a recovery timeline of 6-to-8 weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.05/18
  • 15-Day-ILCraig Kimbrel (RP) — Kimbrel (wrist) will throw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.06/08
  • 15-Day-ILJesse Scholtens (RP) — Scholtens was charged with a blown save and dropped to 5-3 on the season in Monday's 9-7 loss to the Orioles in 13 innings after yielding five runs (three earned) on four hits across 1.1 frames. He struck out one batter.05/27
  • 60-Day-ILGavin Lux (LF) — Lux (shoulder) is scheduled to take live batting practice against teammate Craig Kimbrel (wrist) on Tuesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.06/08
  • 60-Day-ILJonathan Heasley (RP) — Heasley was returned to the major-league roster and placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow stress reaction.06/08
  • 60-Day-ILManuel Rodriguez (RP) — Rodriguez (elbow) has no timetable to progress to facing live hitters, MLB.com reports.05/30
  • 60-Day-ILSteven Wilson (RP) — The Rays hope Wilson (back) will be able to start bullpen sessions June 8, MLB.com reports.05/30
  • 60-Day-ILEdwin Uceta (RP) — Manager Kevin Cash said Friday that Uceta (shoulder) suffered a setback and received a PRP injection, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.05/29
  • 60-Day-ILMichael Grove (RP) — Grove (shoulder) started a rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Rays on Saturday.05/28
  • 60-Day-ILRyan Pepiot (SP) — Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/08
Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels
(13)
  • Day-To-DayNolan Schanuel (1B) — Schanuel (calf) is not in the Angels' starting lineup against the Rays on Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.06/12
  • 10-Day-ILJorge Soler (DH) — Soler (oblique) ran on the field and did some light baseball activities Friday, per MLB.com.06/13
  • 10-Day-ILAdam Frazier (2B) — Frazier (elbow) took part in light baseball activities Friday, per MLB.com.06/13
  • 10-Day-ILVaughn Grissom (2B) — Grissom (oblique) has been taking light swings and participating in light baseball activities, per MLB.com.06/13
  • 10-Day-ILSebastian Rivero (C) — Rivero was removed from Tuesday's game against the Astros with an apparent left hand injury, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.06/10
  • 10-Day-ILGustavo Campero (C) — The Angels selected Campero's contract from Double-A Rocket City and placed him on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a fractured hand.06/06
  • 60-Day-ILTravis d'Arnaud (C) — D'Arnaud (foot) is no longer wearing a walking boot, and he played catch on the field Wednesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.06/13
  • 60-Day-ILYusei Kikuchi (SP) — Kikuchi (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a throwing program in mid-June, per MLB.com.06/13
  • 60-Day-ILBen Joyce (RP) — Joyce (shoulder) threw 10 pitches off a mound Friday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.06/13
  • 60-Day-ILJack Kochanowicz (SP) — Kochanowicz (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery, Erica Weston of Bally Sports West reports.06/10
  • 60-Day-ILYoan Moncada (3B) — Moncada will require surgery on his right knee, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.06/09
  • 60-Day-ILRobert Stephenson (RP) — The Angels announced that Stephenson underwent ligament and flexor repair surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.05/08
  • 60-Day-ILAnthony Rendon (3B) — The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

The matchup pitch-for-pitch favors Soriano, who is a legitimately good ground-ball starter having a career year. The matchup vibes-wise favor whoever the Halos roll out, because they have not lost back-to-back games at home in over a week. Rays bats need to show up early before Jax's pitch count becomes the manager's problem.

Sources

MLBTampa Bay RaysLos Angeles AngelsPolymarketKalshiGriffin JaxJosé Soriano