Rays outfielders take new-look Trop for a test drive; Vilade reacts to making team

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Most years, the Rays wrap up Spring Training with a few workouts and an exhibition game at Tropicana Field. It’s a good way to break camp, get the players settled in at home and reacclimated to their ballpark before the games that count get underway.

That isn’t possible this spring, as repair work continues inside Tropicana Field ahead of the Rays’ April 6 home opener against the Cubs, but they’re finding ways to get their players a little work inside the Trop before heading out for their season-opening road trip.

The Rays sent a group of outfielders to Tropicana Field on Sunday morning to take part in defensive drills before the team’s game against the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark, and their infielders will make a similar visit on Monday morning before the Rays play the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater.

The Rays previously had shortstop Taylor Walls test out the infield dirt during a brief workout earlier this month, but this was the first larger group expedition. First-base/outfield coach Corey Dickerson and manager Kevin Cash hit fly balls and grounders to the outfielders, who also worked on handling balls off the wall and fielded high flies from a machine to get used to the dome’s rebuilt roof and new playing surface.

“It was nice being back in the Trop,” outfielder Jonny DeLuca said. “Last year was kind of weird, but it was fun to be back there.”

DeLuca, Chandler Simpson and Ryan Vilade took the trip before joining the squad for Sunday’s game. Of that group, DeLuca is the only one with meaningful experience at the Trop. Simpson, who debuted during the Rays’ season at George M. Steinbrenner Field last year, had only been on the field once, for an end-of-spring exhibition in 2024. Vilade has never played there.

“It was nice to get in there,” Simpson said. “Good to see it. Good to do some baseball work in there, see how we could track the ball from the ceiling and do a little outfield communication, see how the ball bounces on the wall, see how it rolls on the turf and really just tracking the ball from the roof.”

The new roof doesn’t look exactly the same, DeLuca noted. Several of the panels are still in the process of bleaching from a brown-ish color to white in the sun. That means the roof currently provides a little contrast that didn’t exist before, making it easier to pick up a white ball against an otherwise-white roof, although the panels will all eventually become the same shade of white.

The new fiberglass composite membrane roof is also a single layer, meaning it should seem brighter inside during day games when it’s sunny outside.

“It's kind of nicer going in there,” DeLuca said. “I mean, everyone, when they went in there, was like, 'Oh, it's brighter. It's brighter.'”

Center fielder Cedric Mullins is no stranger to Tropicana Field, having visited plenty with the Orioles during his career, and right fielder Jake Fraley has played seven games there in his career. They’ll have to make the usual adjustments for outfielders getting used to the Trop, like picking up the ball against the roof after taking their eye off it, which they practiced on Sunday.

“The Trop looked great. They're doing a good job of getting it ready for us. The turf and dirt were great,” Vilade said. “I think everyone benefited from going out there.”

Around the horn

Second baseman Gavin Lux (right shoulder soreness) was back in the lineup on Sunday after being scratched Saturday. Lux has been battling soreness most of the spring, from what the team called “general soreness” to an oblique issue and now a sore shoulder.

Lux said he had been throwing a lot to make up for lost time, but he hopes and plans to be ready for Opening Day.

“He knows we’re on a time crunch,” Cash said. “We’ve got to get him going for him to be ready to go.”

Vilade, who was told Friday he made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, said a highlight was sharing the news with his family, including parents James and Jennifer. Vilade will play second base and both outfield corners, mostly against left-handed pitchers.

“Mom started crying. Dad was fired up. Little bro was fired up,” Vilade said. “It was a super special moment for all of us.”

With Vilade and DeLuca officially on the team, the Rays’ position player group is set aside from a final decision about what to do at shortstop. The club is still evaluating its options in the bullpen.

Starter Nick Martinez gave up 11 runs on 12 hits (including three home runs) and walked two without a strikeout while recording 11 outs against the Blue Jays, raising his spring ERA to 14.49 in four starts. He had to use the re-entry rule twice to get his pitch count up to 82.

The veteran right-hander, set to start Saturday in St. Louis, said he isn’t concerned but expects a “deep dive” before his first regular-season start to see where he can improve.

“Physically, mentally, I’m ready. Obviously, mentally, you want to have the results in Spring Training to go into the season,” Martinez said. “But I’m confident in our approach, and physically, I feel great.”