St. PETERSBURG, FL – Rene Pinto has been waiting a long time to play in a Major League baseball game. He finally had a chance Tuesday night, and he made the most of it.
Pinto, a 25-year-old Venezuelan signed by the Rays as a teenager, was called up last weekend after catcher Francisco Mejia was to be listed for COVID-19, unsure when — or even if — he was about to. Get a chance to play.
But on Tuesday evening, with the Mariners leading 7-0, top catcher Mike Zunino left the game with a slight bicep injury. Pinto is gone.
And on the first hit throw at the bottom of the seventh inning, he hits a ball into the right field benches of the twice-running Homer.
“First, glory to God. “It was so cool,” said Pinto. “I almost feel like I’m flying. It was a great feeling.”
The Rays team members were able to retrieve the ball from the fan that caught it in the stands. With no family members on his first game – he’s sure they were watching on TV – the commemorative ball will soon have a new home.
“I’m going to save [the home run ball] And he sent it to my parents. Pinto also got a hit in his second attack, hitting a 100 mph fast ball from Andres Munoz back up the middle.
One night, 2 for 2, and memories that last a lifetime, despite losing 8-4.
“It’s unbelievable,” Tampa Bay’s second baseman Brandon Lowe said. “Especially for him to be able to come in and not just debut and make this day special, but come get your first hit, get your first home, get your first RBI. It was really fun to watch honestly.
“To watch the first hit sort of go through which is kind of calculating things. He made those adjustments and understood what he needed. The second hit he got, he looked like he had been a pro for 10 years.”
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Pinto was signed by Rays as a free agent at the age of 16 in 2013 and has been slowly making his way into the organization. It’s been considered one of the top prospects in foundations for a while, and it’s a powerful two-way catcher. He has a strong arm and some of them explode in his racket. Last year, he hit .274 with 20 home points and 60 RBIs in 93 games between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.
Like most young players, he didn’t play at all in 2020 due to the coronavirus. So far, he’s got his chance. He was the tenth Rays player to achieve his first home success. Wander Franco recently did it on his debut last summer, and Franco was there to welcome Pinto to a gigantic after-party on Tuesday.
According to MLB, Pinto was the first person to hit Homer on his first hit while coming off the bench since Seattle’s Greg Dobbs did it in 2004.
Zunino’s injury is expected to be minor, and a decision on his preparation will be made later on Wednesday. It’s not easy to expect Pinto to start for the first time since the Rays have Thursday afternoon game after Wednesday night’s game.
Cash said he still has no idea when Mejia will return. He missed it. He hit the .348 with two crawlers and 10 RBIs in just 23 off the racket. COVID issues remain an issue in the Rays locker room, with no immediate end in sight.
“A group of people came in and retested (Monday) and the report is still not good,” Cash said. “So far, we’ve been lucky that it didn’t affect a lot of the players, but it definitely affected the staff and the support staff. So we wish them well.
“We are dropping people very quickly. And we are doing our best to keep them.”
Mejia tested positive last Thursday after the team returned from Chicago and has now missed four games. Cash hopes he won’t be out for much longer.
“He did everything for vaccination and reinforcement, all of those things,” Cash said. “So now it’s just getting some negative tests as the numbers indicate it’s not contagious.”
Rays player Yandy Diaz and relief pitcher Jeffrey Springs missed a game this weekend as a precaution after close contact.
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Rene Pinto in spring training
Rene Pinto celebrates
Rene Pinto, Josh Lowe
Rene Pinto Homers
Rene Pinto Homers
Rene Pinto base circles
Rene Pinto thanks
Rene Pinto mugshot
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