Junior Caminero expected to return for Rays in World Series Game 5 after exiting Game 4 with left foot injury

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Junior Caminero is expected to be available for Tampa Bay when the Rays play Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday after exiting Game 4 with what the Rays described as an apparent left foot injury, according to Rays manager Kevin Cash. Cash said Tuesday night that Caminero should be able to play despite the injury and should return to the lineup for the next game.

Caminero’s Game 4 exit came after he sparked a late rally for Tampa Bay in a win that extended the World Series. During the Rays’ 12th-inning push on Tuesday night, Caminero led off the inning by grounding a 1-1 pitch toward third base.

With Caminero hustling down the line, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Joey Ortiz fielded the grounder, but the throw to first base was short of the bag. As a result, first baseman Jake Bauers could not make the pick, allowing Caminero to reach.

After the sprint, Caminero walked back toward first gingerly. Despite the visible discomfort, he stayed in the game and continued to advance on subsequent action.

When Liam Hicks later hit a single to left-center field, Caminero shook off any pain and moved all the way to third base. That set up the Rays for the tying and eventual scoring opportunities that followed.

Caminero was then lifted for a pinch-runner, Cedric Mullins. Cash said the team would not substitute for Caminero again until he reached scoring position, a decision that was tied to the Rays’ hope of improving their chances on a potential sacrifice fly.

Cash also explained that Tampa Bay’s bench was already thin, which factored into the strategy of waiting to use a runner only once the situation required it. After Mullins entered the game, he scored the tying run on Jonny DeLuca’s single in the ensuing at-bat.

The late rally continued after the tie, with Chandler Simpson and Ben Williamson each adding singles in the next two at-bats. Those hits helped Tampa Bay secure the walk-off win in Game 4 and keep the World Series alive.

The source account also credits the momentum of the inning to Caminero’s effort on his opening ground ball in the 12th. Cash highlighted the pressure Caminero’s run created on the Brewers’ defense, saying he knew Caminero’s sprinting down the line would put Ortiz under duress and that the Rays were fortunate to reach first base.

Looking ahead to Game 5, Cash’s comments indicated that Caminero is expected to play again on Wednesday, framing the injury status as manageable for the next contest: “He’ll play tomorrow on one leg; I’ll make sure of it,” Cash said Tuesday night.

For Rays fans, the immediate practical impact is straightforward: Tampa Bay anticipates having its third baseman available after he finished Game 4 on the bases and was replaced only after reaching a critical spot for scoring. If he returns as expected, the Rays’ lineup would regain a key part of the late-inning sequence that helped produce the walk-off.

For the Brewers, the sequence from Game 4 underscores how costly defensive fundamentals can be in the late innings of a must-win stretch. With Game 5 next, both clubs will carry the context of the Game 4 12th inning into a series moment that now depends again on whether Tampa Bay’s star can return after the reported left foot issue.