Rays Camp: Injury List Impacts Opening Day Roster

The Rays are three weeks away from opening their 2017 season against the New York Yankees on April 2nd at Tropicana Field.

Since the initial infirmary report two weeks ago, the Rays have seen Logan Morrison and Steven Souza Jr. return. Morrison has been serving as the team’s DH but he will make his first start at first base Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Souza has been playing regularly in right field.

Wilson Ramos, Colby Rasmus, and Matt Duffy had yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game. New to the list is reliever Brad Boxberger who is dealing with a side issue and has yet to make an appearance for the Rays.

While injuries are not a positive for a team, they can lead to a positive result for a player and by proxy the team. Near the end of camp in 2015, Nick Franklin injured his oblique. The injury led to Logan Forsythe getting an opportunity to be an everyday player. He seized on it and became one of the team’s most productive players.

Projected Opening Day Disabled List: Nathan Eovaldi, Wilson Ramos, Colby Rasmus, Matt Duffy, Brad Boxberger, and Shawn Tolleson.

Projected Opening Roster:

Starters: Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Alex Cobb, Blake Snell, Matt Andriese

Bullpen: Alex Colome, Xavier Cedeno, Danny Farquhar, Jumbo Diaz, Tommy Hunter, Erasmo Ramirez, Chase Whitley

Catchers: Jesus Sucre, Luke Maile

Infield: Logan Morrison, Brad Miller, Tim Beckham, Nick Franklin, Evan Longoria

Outfield: Corey Dickerson, Kevin Kiermaier, Steven Souza Jr., Mallex Smith

Unknown: One more position player which could be a wild card rookie or a player not in the organization today.

Of note: Rickie Weeks, Tommy Hunter, and Jesus Sucre will require addition to the 40-man roster.

A look at the injury list and who may have the opportunity to step up come opening day.

Brad Boxberger, Reliever:

Injury: Right Side Tightness

Expected Return: Opening Day

Last spring Rays reliever Brad Boxberger left camp to undergo core surgery in his groin area. The injury cost him the first eight weeks of the season. He returned on May 31st to throw 16 pitches against the Kansas City Royals before exiting the game with a left-oblique injury which cost him another eight weeks.

Overall, Boxberger worked in just 27 games posting a 4-3 mark with a 4.81 ERA (13ER/24.1IP) while striking out 22 and walking 19.

This spring, Boxberger is dealing with a lat injury and has yet to make an appearance in a Grapefruit League game.

What if he isn’t ready:

Lucky for the Rays, they aren’t trying to replace the 2015 Boxberger who led the American League in saves (41). Danny Farquhar, Shawn Tolleson, and newly acquired Jumbo Diaz may all get an opportunity to serve in higher leverage situations. Rookie Jaime Schultz may have an opportunity to break camp with the team as he’s done nothing but impress out of the ‘pen this spring.

Shawn Tolleson: Reliever

Injury: Back Spasm’s

Expected Return: Mid-April

Shawn Tolleson was signed to a 1-year deal in hopes that his injury issues were the reason for his poor performance in 2016. After two productive years with the Texas Rangers in which he appeared in 137 games, piled up 35 saves, and pitched to a 2.88 ERA, he put up an unsightly 7.68 ERA last season.

What if he can’t return:

See Boxberger Notes.

Wilson Ramos, Catcher

Injury: Right Knee: anterior cruciate ligament

Expected Return: Mid-May

Ramos, 29, is coming off a season in which he earned his first career All-Star selection with the Washington Nationals while setting new career-highs in games played and almost all major offensive categories – runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI and all three triple-slash categories.The Rays signed him to a 2-year/$12.5MM deal in December.

One of the reasons Ramos said that he chose an American League team was for the ability to return to the field sooner as a designated hitter. He has set an April return date but the cautious Rays are looking more toward a mid-May to end-May return.

Opportunity Knocks: The competition in camp for the catching position boils down to Luke Maile, Curt Casali, and Jesus Sucre. If I had to choose two of these three catchers to be on the opening day roster it’d be Jesus Surcre and Luke Maile.

Colby Rasmus, Outfielder

Injury: Hip Surgery, Core Muscle Surgery

Expected Return: Opening Day

The Rays signed Colby Rasmus to a 1-year/$5MM deal with another $2MM in incentives. The 2016 season was a disappointing season with the Houston Astros as he hit .206/.286/.355 with 15 homers spanning 407 plate appearances. The Rays hope to see much more of the 2015 Rasmus where he hit .238/.314/.475 with 25 homers.

During the season, Rasmus developed a condition called cholesteatoma which in laymen terms is a cyst in the ear. Eventually, he’d undergo surgery to have the cyst removes and in the process replaced two ear bones with two prosthetic ones.

At the end of the 2016 season, he underwent hip surgery one to shave down a bone spur and to repair the labrum in his left hip and another to repair a core muscle.

“We’ll see how it is in late February. I may be a little later in spring. We’ll just see how it goes.” Rasmus said. “I just want to make sure I do right by myself and my team and get my workouts in early.”

Chaim Blooom, Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations, said the team had done their due diligence on Rasmus injuries and recovery. “Once he gets acclimated you’re going to see Colby at 100-percent. We’re optimistic for opening day. We know he’s going to be behind going into the spring. Never want to say we feel certain about it but we’re optimistic that he has a good chance to be active on opening day.”

What if he isn’t ready?

If he isn’t ready by opening day the door will be open for Maxell Smith, acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Drew Smyly, to make the opening day roster. Additionally, Nick Franklin might see more time in left-field against right handed pitching while Rasmus continues his rehab.

Matt Duffy, Shortstop

Injury: Achilles Surgery

Expected Return: Opening Day Setback: Return Early April

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Matt Duffy in exchange for lefty Matt Moore at the trade deadline. At the time of the trade, he was in the middle of a rehab stint as a result of an Achilles strain that he suffered on June 19th while playing at Tropicana Field against the Rays as a member of the San Francisco Giants.

With the Rays he appeared in just 21 games batting .276/.300/.355 and overall between the Rays and Giants he hit .258/.310/.357 spanning 368 plate appearances.

The surgery included shaving down the heel bone in order to alleviate irritation and inflammation with the Achilles.

He recently suffered a setback when experiencing discomfort while taking fielding at 100-percent. According to reports, his setback isn’t a big one but it does put his status for opening day in jeopardy.

What if he can’t go?

If Duffy is unable to go by opening day, that might open the door for shortstop Daniel Robertson to make the opening day roster. Tim Beckham would likely see most of the time at the position but Robertson could fill in at either short or second while Brad Miller logs innings at the position he manned during most of the 2016 season.

The wild card at the shortstop position is rookie phenom Willy Adames. The Rays would treat his time with the club similar to a September callup. He’d see some action, not a lot, and when Duffy returned he’d be sent down. It would be a good way to get the kid some MLB exposure and have him prepared for his eventual callup.

Nathan Eovaldi, Pitcher

Injury: Elbow

Expected Return: 2018

The Rays signed Nathan Eovaldi to a one-year/$2MM deal that includes a 2018 club option for $2MM with up to $3.5MM in incentives.

Eovaldi underwent Tommy John elbow surgery in September and will miss the entire 2017 season. It will mark the second such surgery for the 26 year old as he also had the procedure as a 17-year old while at Alvin High School in Texas.

In his big league career with the Dodgers, Marlins and Yankees he’s made 134 appearances (127 starts). He has a record of 36-48 with an ERA of 4.21 while striking out 6.6 batters per nine innings while walking 2.6 batter per nine.

Last season before his injury he appeared in 24 games (21 starts) and posted a record of 9-8 with a 4.76 ERA (66ER/124.2IP) while striking out 97 and walking 40

Odd Injury Of Camp:

Rays’ prospect Taylor Guerrieri felt light headed and fell in his bathroom requiring stitches above his right eye.