TAMPA, Fla. — Outfielder Jonny DeLuca’s nearly month-long absence due to a right hamstring strain is certainly not the only reason the Tampa Bay Rays went from being the majors’ best team to the worst over that stretch, losing 15-of-22 games.

But his contributions in the two games he started since being reinstated from the injured list Friday — both Rays victories — are definitely an indication of the impact he can have in getting them back to their winning ways.

Sunday, DeLuca delivered the key hit at a critical time, smacking a two-run go-ahead homer in the seventh inning as the Rays rallied to a 4-3 victory and a series win over the Washington Nationals.

“We all know he’s a good player,” said Yandy Diaz, via team interpreter Kevin Vera. “When he’s healthy, when he’s on the field he’s not just a good player for us, he’s a great player. So we all recognize that right away.

“He’s got speed, he’s good defensively, and this series you’ve seen it with the bat. So Jonny’s a big piece of what we’re doing.”

There were some other contributors as well before a Tropicana Field announced crowd of 21,054.

Starter Nick Martinez kept the majors’ top scoring offense to three runs over six innings.

Relievers Garrett Cleavinger, Bryan Baker (the usual closer working the eighth Sunday based on matchups) and Kevin Kelly kept it there, with a hand from Nick Fortes catching Daylen Lile stealing for the second out in the ninth.

Ryan Vilade blasted a 436-foot homer in the sixth to get the Rays within 3-2.

And Diaz — whose son, Yandy Jr., had first-pitch duties as part of the team’s vast Father’s Day activities — doubled in a run in the third and singled — off reliever Orlando Ribalta, his brother-in-law — ahead of DeLuca’s homer in the seventh.

Coming off a 1-5 road trip, the Rays (43-31) opened a season-long 10-game homestand with just the third series victory of their last eight.

“That was a big series win,” Martinez said. “Obviously a tough road trip, a lot of close ballgames that we ended up losing. I think it’s just a matter of time, if we bring the energy, I think we’re going to come out on top, and we were able to bring it late (Sunday).”

Part of the Rays’ struggles over the last month were losing the close games they were winning earlier.

For example, they won nine of their first 11 games decided by one run, then lost six of their last seven before Sunday, and afterward were usually lamenting the lack of a key hit.

“We’re talking about how we went on this incredible run of winning the one-run games for a while, and now it’s kind of come back and bit us a little bit,” manager Kevin Cash said. “When you’re losing one-run ballgames, the big hit probably just didn’t quite get there. So (Sunday) Jonny took it into his own hands. Huge, huge homer.”

DeLuca has dealt with muscle strains previously and made changes to his diet and workout routine in the offseason in hopes of avoiding them, which made his latest injury tough to handle.

“Very glad to be back,” DeLuca said. “Personally, it gets emotional just because I was on the IL a lot last year. This year, kind of tried to do everything in the offseason and early on to stay off. And it ended up happening.

“That was God’s plan for me to go on the IL. It happened that way. But it’s still so fun to be back and just be playing.”

While on rehab last week at Triple-A Durham, DeLuca said he slowed his game down a bit, which may have helped.

“Obviously it was kind of funny because some of the hamstring and leg stuff had been happening when I’m trying to run out, beat out ground balls,” DeLuca said. “So I was like, ‘You know, it would be easier if I hit the ball over the fence and could run slow.’”

DeLuca, who homered in Friday’s 5-2 series-opening win, said striking out his first two at-bats Sunday fueled him to deliver later, with a double in the fifth and the 396-foot homer in the seventh.

“Just very grateful to be back and helping this team win, because we have a special group,” DeLuca said.

DeLuca’s playing time was somewhat limited early in the season as, being a right-handed hitter, he was on the short side of the platoon matchups and the Rays had three lefty-hitting outfielders in Jake Fraley, Cedric Mullins and Chandler Simpson.

But when DeLuca, who hit .269 with two homers, 19 RBIs, six steals and a .710 OPS until being hurt in the May 22 game, was in the lineup, good things often happened.

In games DeLuca has started, the Rays are 24-5. In games he hasn’t, they are 19-26.

“He’s a big part of this team,” Vilade said. “He can hit the homer, he can bunt, he can run, he can play great outfield.”

And DeLuca also has an impact off the field.

“He’s a vibes guy, man. He’s a clubhouse guy,” Martinez said. “Happy for him to come off the IL (and) come out running. We’re happy to have him back.”

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