Rays' Ramos placed on DL, could be out until August

The Tampa Bay Rays officially placed All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos on the 10-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain Wednesday after he sustained the injury on Sunday afternoon, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Although there's no immediate timetable for Ramos' return, it could be a lengthy absence for the 30-year-old, as Topkin reports the catcher is likely to be sidelined until after the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

That's potentially bad news for Tampa Bay, as not only has Ramos been one of the team's best players - his 131 wRC+ leads all Rays hitters - but he was also emerging a potential trade chip before the deadline. Two contending teams that are in need of catching help, the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals, have been connected to Ramos in recent weeks.

Ramos suffered the hamstring injury while running out a ground ball in the Rays' first-half finale on Sunday. The ailment forced him to withdraw from playing in the All-Star Game, where he was supposed to be the American League's starting catcher.

Ramos is in the midst of a resurgence in Tampa Bay this season. He's hitting .297/.346/.488 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs while leading all AL catchers with 1.8 wins above replacement.