Tampa Bay Rays designate veteran backup catcher Alex Jackson for assignment

The Tampa Bay Rays announced Thursday morning that they have designated catcher Alex Jackson to duty.

Jackson, 28, has not played since Aug. 30. The Rays selected catcher Logan Driscoll when the team expanded its roster on Sept. 1, and he immediately assumed the role of primary backup to Ben Rortvedt.

Rortvedt leads Tampa Bay catchers with 74 starts in 2024, while Jackson ranks second with 46. Rene Pinto began the season in the lineup with Rortvedt behind the plate, making 15 starts before Jackson was called up to take over on May 3.

The Rays removed Jackson from their 40-man roster alongside left-handed pitcher Tyler Alexander, who was assigned to Triple-A Durham. Left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery and infielder Austin Shenton were called up from Triple-A to fill out the roster in their place.

Jackson, a former first-round pick of the Seattle Mariners, broke into the big leagues in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves. He spent parts of 2021 and 2022 with the Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers but has not appeared in an MLB game in 2023.

In 58 appearances with the Rays this season, Jackson has hit .122 with three home runs, 12 RBI, a .439 OPS and -0.3 WAR. He has, however, recorded 0.5 defensive WAR and three defensive runs allowed, so Tampa Bay could be dealing with a defensive dip behind the plate late.

Of course, the playoffs are out of reach for the Rays, who are 6.0 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot (69-70). FanGraphs gives Tampa Bay just a 2.3% chance of reaching the postseason, meaning their five-year playoff streak is coming to an end.

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