Tampa Bay Rays call up Fernando Perez, CC ’05

In their last-ditch effort to gain ground in the American League Wild Card race, the Tampa Bay Rayshave activated outfielder Fernando Perez, CC ’05, to help add speed on the basepaths and range in the field.

Perez’s recent activation marks his second stint with his big-league club. In 2008, he was called up as part of the Rays’ September roster expansion and saw action deep into October. Most notably, he pinch-ran in a key situation in the AL Championship Series and scored the game-winning run against the Red Sox in game two. Perez figured to make the Rays’ roster out of spring training this season before he was forced to undergo wrist surgery in March. He has been with the club ever since and his recent addition to the roster is classified as an activation from the disabled list rather than a September call-up.

In six games this year, Perez is hitting .180 with two runs scored and five strikeouts. The Rays currently sit 17.5 games back in the AL East and 8.5 games out in the wild-card race. They are mired in a seven-game losing streak.

—Jacob Levenfeld