TAMPA, Fla. -- Carson Williams homered and went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in his major league debut, a day after the Tampa Bay Rays called up the former first-round pick. "It's every kid's dream, and it just got even better," Williams said in a televised postgame interview. Williams delivered a 410-foot, two-run homer to center field in the seventh inning of the Rays' 10-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night. He also reached on an error in the second and beat out an infield single in the third. According to ESPN Research, Williams is the fourth player in Rays history with multiple hits and a homer in his MLB debut. He joins Renè Pinto, Wander Franco and Delmon Young. The Rays called up Williams on Thursday and placed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim on the injured list because of recurring back trouble. Williams, 22, was the No. 28 pick in the 2021 amateur draft and was rated one of the best defensive players in the minors. "I'm just glad my family's here, and I'm glad they welcomed me so much here," Williams said. "It's just been an amazing day." The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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