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The Tampa Bay Rays are hoping to have their hottest hitter back in the lineup when they host the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday in the second contest of their three-game series.

Yandy Diaz felt his right hip tighten up on an awkward swing in the sixth inning of an 8-4 loss to the Phillies in the series opener on Tuesday. Diaz, who primarily serves as Tampa Bay’s designated hitter, homered earlier in the game.

“I think he’s OK,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Diaz after the game. “Maybe avoided a little bit of a scare.”

Diaz is 16-for-46 with two home runs and nine RBIs in the past 12 games.

His absence would be noticeable for the Rays, who have lost five of seven and have been shut out twice in that span.

“I’m hoping he’ll be in the lineup (Wednesday),” Cash said.

Tampa Bay plans to send right-hander Shane Baz to the mound on Wednesday.

Baz (3-1, 3.86 ERA) went 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in April before taking his first loss of the season last Thursday. He was tagged for seven runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of an 8-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

“I’ve just got to make better quality pitches 0-0, 1-0, 0-1,” Baz said. ”I just never settled in and never took advantage of the defense bailing me out., It’s on me, I’ve got to bear down and make better pitches. When I missed, I missed in the middle part of the plate, or it was a ball. I can’t have that.”

Baz has made one start in his career against the Phillies and did not receive a decision after allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Philadelphia had some tough outs in its lineup in the series opener on Tuesday.

Nick Castellanos singled, doubled, homered and drove in four runs and Kyle Schwarber also went deep and had two RBIs. Alec Bohm homered among his two hits and added two RBIs.

Bryce Harper went 2-for-5 with two runs after batting just .170 in his previous 12 games.

“Any of those guys in that lineup, they’ve got a track record of hitting and doing damage,” Cash said.

Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez is scheduled to start on Wednesday for the Phillies.

Sanchez (3-1, 3.45 ERA) has won three of his past four starts, most recently allowing two runs and five hits in five innings of a 7-2 victory against the Washington Nationals last Wednesday.

Sanchez had left his previous start with left forearm soreness on April 22 against the New York Mets.

“He looked a little rusty,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said after Sanchez’s most recent outing. “It’s been a week since he’s pitched. Command was off a little bit, but the stuff was really good.”

Sanchez originally was signed with the Rays as an international free agent on July 15, 2013, earning a $65,000 signing bonus. He was traded to the Phillies in exchange for Curtis Mead on Nov. 20, 2019.

Sanchez has made two starts in his career against the Rays and is 0-0 with a 0.75 ERA.

–Field Level Media