Tampa Bay Rays' Richie Palacios Activated From Injured List, Set For Season Debut
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The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated utility man Richie Palacios from the 10-day injured list, the club announced Thursday afternoon.
Palacios was initially sidelined with a fractured right ring finger back on March 21, suffering the injury in the waning days of spring training camp. He was placed on the IL to open the regular season, all while he worked out with the Rays' Florida Coast League affiliate.
The 28-year-old played two games with Double-A Montgomery and two with Triple-A Durham during his rehab stint, going 3-for-14 with one RBI, two walks and five strikeouts.
To make room for Palacios on the active roster, the Rays have optioned infielder Coco Montes to Triple-A Durham.
The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated INF/OF Richie Palacios (right ring finger fracture) from the 10-day IL and optioned INF Coco Montes to Triple-A Durham.
— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) April 17, 2025
Palacios appeared in 92 games for the Rays in 2024, batting .223 with five home runs, eight doubles, one triple, 21 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, 45 walks, 67 strikeouts, a .664 OPS and a 1.8 WAR. He saw most of his time at second base, left field and right field, demonstrating the kind of dynamism that manager Kevin Cash and the Rays' front office have long valued.
With starting outfielders Jonny DeLuca and Josh Lowe still on the injured list, though, Palacios is likely to see most of his time in the outfield upon his return. Christopher Morel, Jake Mangum and Kameron Misner have been holding down the fort in the outfield as of late, with utility man José Caballero chipping in when needed.
Caballero can now return to the infield, giving Brandon Lowe and Taylor Walls breaks up the middle, while Palacios can lighten the youngsters' loads in the outfield.
The Rays are set to open a series with the New York Yankees on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Tampa Bay has yet to announce its starting lineup.
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Sam Connon covers baseball for "On SI'' on the Sports Illustrated platform and is also a senior writer on "Fastball on SI'' and ''Minor League Baseball on SI.'' He previously covered UCLA Athletics for "On SI's'' All Bruins site, among others.
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