TAMPA, Fla. -- Two days before their Opening Day matchup with the Rockies, the Rays were still working out the details of their season-opening roster.
They previously answered one big question by informing hot-hitting infielder Curtis Mead that he made his second straight Opening Day roster, with veteran Eloy Jiménez set to report to Triple-A Durham.
And the biggest question, their rotation logjam, sorted itself out in an unexpected and unfortunate way when Opening Day starter Shane McClanahan went down with a nerve-related left triceps injury in his final spring tuneup. Ryan Pepiot will step up as the Opening Day starter with Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen, Shane Baz and Zack Littell following in the initial five-man rotation.
The Rays sent out a few candidates for the final bullpen spot, narrowing the pool to replace the injured Alex Faedo. They picked right-hander Mason Englert and recalled the previously optioned Hunter Bigge to take McClanahan’s spot on the pitching staff.
Finally, on Wednesday, the Rays placed infielder/outfielder Richie Palacios on the 10-day injured list due to a fractured right ring finger. They recalled outfielder Kameron Misner, who had a great spring, from Triple-A to take Palacios’ spot as a left-handed-hitting outfield option.
Here’s a look at how Tampa Bay’s Opening Day roster is shaping up.
Catcher (2): Danny Jansen, Ben Rortvedt
Manager Kevin Cash has said the Rays expect Jansen to play “a lot” and carry “a pretty big workload” behind the plate, assuming he’s fine after a late-spring intercostal issue. The right-handed-hitting free-agent addition has a natural complement in Rortvedt, a left-handed hitter who emerged as the regular catcher last year.
First base/designated hitter (2): Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda
Aranda has some versatility, given his ability to play second base, but the Rays might see more value in having one of their key left-handed hitters spend most of his time at first base while giving Díaz more DH days. Díaz has battled a number of nagging injuries in recent years, and it’s critical that Tampa Bay keeps his bat in the lineup, whether he’s batting leadoff or put in a spot where he could drive in more runs.
Second base (1): Brandon Lowe
Lowe played some first base when Díaz was unavailable last season, and he did some of his best hitting as Tampa Bay’s DH. But the Rays believe their best roster has Lowe at second base, and few at the position can provide the kind of power Lowe offers at his best. He has been healthy this spring, and when he’s healthy, he hits.
Shortstop (1): Taylor Walls
Ha-Seong Kim will take over here whenever he’s fully healthy, which could be sometime in May. But this job should primarily belong to the defensively elite Walls to begin the season, and he figures to remain the top backup there upon Kim’s return.
Third base (1): Junior Caminero
No questions here. After an eventful offseason, Caminero has shown his special power at the plate this spring. He’s expecting a big year in his first full Major League season, and that would go a long way for the Rays.
Outfield (4): Christopher Morel, Jonny DeLuca, Josh Lowe, Kameron Misner
Morel is hoping to break through as the regular left fielder after a rough introduction to the Rays last season. DeLuca will get a path to more playing time in center field. And Lowe is arguably the top bounce-back candidate on a roster full of them, with the potential to make a massive impact as the regular right fielder like he did in 2023. With the versatile Palacios sidelined, Misner can form a platoon with Morel or DeLuca and back up Lowe.
Utility (2): José Caballero, Curtis Mead
Caballero is the Rays’ newest Swiss Army knife, potentially capable of playing three spots in the infield and all three in the outfield. Most likely, Caballero will get a lot of his early reps in the infield behind Walls, Caminero and Brandon Lowe. But the fact that both can play six positions should give Cash a lot of in-game flexibility.
The Rays chose to carry Mead on their Opening Day roster over the veteran Jiménez. After packing on muscle over the offseason and getting back to his roots in the batter’s box, Mead has looked every bit like the former consensus Top 100 prospect this spring -- and he offers some defensive versatility at first, second and third base.
Starting pitchers (5): Ryan Pepiot, Taj Bradley, Drew Rasmussen, Shane Baz, Zack Littell
With McClanahan on the injured list with a nerve issue in his triceps, Littell has become the first option in the season’s initial five-man rotation, temporarily answering the conundrum of what the Rays might do with their sixth starter. The depth has paid off.
Relief pitchers (8): Pete Fairbanks, Edwin Uceta, Manuel Rodriguez, Garrett Cleavinger, Kevin Kelly, Mason Montgomery, Mason Englert, Hunter Bigge
With McClanahan’s injury creating a traditional five-man rotation, the Rays are at least able to carry a full bullpen. Out of options, Faedo looked like the favorite for the last spot before sustaining a right shoulder injury. That opened the door for Englert, another former Tiger acquired in a trade, to crack the bullpen as a multi-inning option. Meanwhile, McClanahan’s injury gave new life to Bigge, who had been sent to the Minors.
Injured list (4): SS Ha-Seong Kim, LHP Nate Lavender, RHP Alex Faedo, LHP Shane McClanahan
Kim is expected to start the season on the injured list while recovering from right shoulder surgery, with hopes of returning in May. Lavender, another Rule 5 Draft pick, might not be ready to compete for a spot in the bullpen until midseason as he recovers from an internal brace procedure. It’s unclear how long Faedo will be out, but he’s not expected to miss much time after an MRI delivered no “alarming” results. McClanahan might not miss a ton of time, but his delayed return from Tommy John surgery is still a big blow.