Tampa Bay Rays Bit By Injury Bug Ahead Of Opening Day

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TAMPA: Ryan Pepiot of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts after a play during the sixth inning of a game against the Houston Astros at George M. Steinbrenner Field on May 19, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

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Within the space of four days, the Rays temporarily (they hope) lost the services of shortstop Taylor Walls, second baseman Gavin Lux and pitcher Ryan Pepiot, who was last season’s Opening Day starter.

It is bad enough to lose the starting middle infield and a horse in the rotation at any point, but in the final week of spring training? As inconvenient as that can be for any team, the Rays conveniently had options.

With Walls sidelined due to an oblique strain, the question as to whether Carson Williams would make his first Opening Day roster was ultimately answered. Tampa Bay’s first-round selection (No. 28) in the 2021 draft debuted last August and struggled (.172, five errors) in 32 games after Walls had his season end prematurely due to a groin strain. Williams was optioned to Triple-A Durham on March 17 only to be told Tuesday to pack his bags for St. Louis where the Rays will open Thursday afternoon against the Cardinals.

Lux was acquired by the Rays from the Reds in a three-team deal that sent outfielder Josh Lowe to the Angels. Thanks to oblique and shoulder soreness, the 28-year-old former first-round selection of the Dodgers did not have much of a Grapefruit League season for Tampa Bay. Lux appeared in only seven games with 21 plate appearances and landed on the 10-day IL Monday with a right shoulder impingement. That opened the door for the oft-injured Richie Palacios to re-join the Rays after he was optioned over the weekend.

The 28-year-old Palacios provides the Swiss Army knife-type of versatility the Rays’ organization has long coveted in that he has played every position but catcher and pitcher in his brief (195 games) big league career with three clubs. The Brooklyn native can also be a force on the basepaths as he demonstrated in 2024 when he was 19-for-20 in the stolen base department with Tampa Bay. The problem has been getting Palacios in the lineup and keeping him there. A finger fracture and knee sprain limited him to 17 games in 2025.

The player that could benefit most from the injuries to Walls and Lux is Ben Williamson, who was acquired from Seattle a week before spring training in a deal that also included the Cardinals. Williamson debuted with the Mariners last year and was Dan Wilson’s starting third baseman before Eugenio Suarez was acquired at the trade deadline. Defense was a strong suit (only three errors) while he struggled at the plate (.604 OPS), though Williamson shined with the bat this spring (.988 OPS) for the Rays.

The lefty-hitting product of William & Mary has spent most his career, pro and college, stationed at the hot corner. Of course, Junior Caminero is going nowhere. Williamson, though, has played the middle infield spots and can platoon with Palacios at second while also receiving time at short and occasionally spelling Caminero at third.

Pepiot injury opens door for Boyle

Joe Boyle was optioned to Durham on Friday only to be summoned back to the big club Tuesday when Pepiot went on the IL due to hip inflammation. The righthander forced out of action two days before the opener is reminiscent of last year when Shane McClanahan’s return from Tommy John surgery was aborted 48 hours before Opening Day due to a nerve issue in his left (throwing) triceps. The setback cost the two-time all-star another season.

This time around, McClanahan follows a promising spring by joining a season-opening rotation that was to include Pepiot along with Opening Day starter Drew Rasmussen and offseason acquisitions Steven Matz and Nick Martinez. With Pepiot’s season delayed by what is hoped to be nothing more than a couple of starts, Boyle will be slotted in as the No. 4 starter, which puts him in line to open the series in Milwaukee on Monday.

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound Notre Damer had three stints with the Rays last season after he was acquired from the A’s in December 2024. Boyle went 1-4 with a 4.67 ERA in 13 appearances, including nine starts. Control issues that have plagued Boyle throughout his career were most evident in his final eight starts as he walked 22 batters in 33 innings.

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