CHICAGO — Christopher Morel exited the Rays’ 4-3 loss in the series finale against the Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field with an abdominal contusion, the team announced.
Morel stepped to the plate with two outs in the top of the fifth to face Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga, with Tampa Bay leading, 3-1. He worked a 2-2 count before fouling off a sweeper.
The ball, though, appeared to ricochet off his foot and hit him in the lower abdominal area. He immediately fell to the ground and stayed there for a few moments. Showing visible discomfort, he was joined by manager Kevin Cash and a team trainer.
After a couple of minutes, Morel resumed his at-bat, swinging through another sweeper on the next pitch for strike three. He went back out to left field for the bottom of the fifth, but after the top of the sixth, Jake Mangum replaced him on defense.
“He was just in a lot of pain,” Cash said. “He was in pain, but the doctors checked him out, and so we’re good on that end.”
Morel left Sunday’s game with a final line of 1-for-3. On the season, he has slashed .227/.290/.410 with 11 home runs in 97 games.
It was a sour end to Morel’s weekend return to Wrigley Field. Morel, who Cash described as still feeling “sore” following the game, had not faced the Cubs since they traded him to the Rays on July 28, 2024, as part of the package that sent Isaac Paredes to Chicago, and in his first at-bat back at his first home ballpark Friday, he launched a three-run home run.
That home run was the only time Cubs fans greeted Morel with any kind of negative reaction throughout the weekend. He was a fan favorite during his time in Chicago, and despite being with Tampa Bay for over a year now, that hadn’t changed.
He felt the love from his former fanbase all weekend as fans lined up along both baselines for pictures and autographs.
“It feels very good,” Morel said through interpreter Eddie Rodriguez following Friday’s 6-4 loss. “I’m very happy. This was the organization that gave me my first opportunity in the big leagues. Having the support of the fans, it’s great. It was great having that adrenaline here in Chicago.”
Sunday’s loss finished off a 2-4 trip through both Chicago ballparks for the Rays. It was their seventh loss in their last nine games.
They began that nine-game stretch only two games out of an American League Wild Card spot, but they’ll now begin their final homestand of the season 7 1/2 games back.
