BALTIMORE -- The Rays removed shortstop Taylor Walls from their starting lineup due to left hamstring tightness about an hour before their eventual 6-1 loss to the Orioles on Tuesday night at Camden Yards.
Walls’ status is day to day, according to the team. Infielder Oliver Dunn took Walls’ place in the lineup, batting ninth and playing shortstop.
Manager Kevin Cash said Walls’ hamstring “kind of tightened up” during the club’s pregame workout, and the Rays wanted to be cautious since he has been playing through discomfort for about a week.
“We're not in a position that we want to push it with him right now. I think we know how important he is to our club,” Cash said. “We'll just go day to day.”
The Rays are also missing infielder Ben Williamson, who has been Walls’ primary backup at shortstop, due to a low back strain. That left Dunn and former top prospect Carson Williams as their top options behind Walls.
It was Dunn’s first Major League appearance at shortstop, although he played 32 games there in the Minors, including five for Triple-A Charlotte earlier this season. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and made an error in the fourth inning, when the Orioles noticed he didn’t step on second base and correctly challenged an out call.
Walls entered Tuesday night slashing .202/.303/.282 with 14 RBIs and six steals in 40 games this season. He started each of Tampa Bay’s previous 16 games at shortstop and was in the lineup for all but three of the Rays’ 42 games since he came off the injured list on April 6.
Tampa Bay acquired Dunn from the White Sox last week in a trade for lefty reliever Joe Rock. Before Tuesday night, the Rays had only used Dunn off the bench as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. He had his first plate appearances with Tampa Bay in extra innings during Monday’s 13-inning, 9-7 loss to the Orioles.