CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Nearing the end of what had been a relatively healthy Spring Training, the Rays have lost their projected starting middle infield to injuries.
Second baseman Gavin Lux will begin the season on the 10-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement, manager Kevin Cash said Monday morning. Lux will join shortstop Taylor Walls (right oblique strain) on the IL, forcing the Rays to reconfigure their infield with Opening Day looming on Thursday.
Richie Palacios, who was optioned to the Minors on Friday, will rejoin the team and serve as the Rays’ primary second baseman against right-handed pitchers. The club has yet to clarify its plans at shortstop, but the most likely option appears to be top prospect Carson Williams.
The Rays will most likely use a platoon at second base, with infielder Ben Williamson -- another option they’re considering at shortstop -- in the lineup against left-handed pitchers and Palacios facing righties.
Acquired from the Reds as part of a three-team trade in January, Lux has been playing through soreness all spring. He was initially held out of games due to what the team called “general soreness,” then he dealt with soreness in his oblique before the shoulder issue became an issue that affected his throwing.
“Just something that we feel we need to get ahead of and manage it now,” Cash said Monday morning before the Rays’ game against the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. “Hoping it’s a pretty short stint. … Just felt like this was the best decision for us and him."
Lux was evaluated on Monday morning by Dr. Koco Eaton, the Rays’ orthopedic team physician. He said after playing Sunday afternoon’s game against the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark that it was his hope and plan to be ready for Opening Day, but said his shoulder only felt "OK," and admitted he was playing catch-up after all the time he missed.
“Trying to catch up on the at-bats and then trying to get some plays in the field and see where we're at,” Lux said Sunday. “I think that's kind of the biggest two things.”
Lux’s injury re-opens the door for Palacios, who was the Rays’ top internal candidate to handle second base between the trade that sent Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh and the one that brought in Lux. He’s a natural replacement for Lux as a left-handed hitter who can play all over the field, but feels most comfortable at second.
The issue for Palacios has never been performance, as Rays officials rave about his patient approach at the plate, reliable defense and impressive baserunning ability. In parts of two seasons with Tampa Bay, he has posted a league-average 100 OPS+ with 23 steals in 109 games.
Palacios’ challenge has been staying healthy. He was given an opportunity for increased playing time down the stretch in 2024, but he missed most of the final two months of the season due to a right knee sprain. He started last season on the IL due to a fractured right ring finger, returned to play one game on April 17 then went back on the IL until Sept. 1 with a right knee sprain.
He has had a healthy spring, however, and he will get a chance to show what he can do in Lux’s absence. While Palacios can bounce around the infield and outfield, the kind of versatility the Rays appreciate, the greatest need for him now is at second base.
“I'm excited for Richie. That was a fun phone call to make. He helps our team,” Cash said. “I've said it many years now. When he's healthy, he can help you do a lot of things to win defensively, on the bases, certainly gives good at-bats. So he'll get into the mix.”