Rays' Depth Will Be Tested With Starting Infield Starting Season on Injured List

Will the Tampa Bay Rays be able to survive with their starting infield on the injured list?

Aug 4, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (6) hits a double during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

With the start of the season right around the corner for the Tampa Bay Rays, another projected starter will be starting the year on the injury. 

As things start to get finalized for the Rays’ Opening Day roster, they have been hit a little bit by injuries of late. Recently, it was announced that Taylor Walls will be starting the year on the injured list, leaving some question marks for the team at the shortstop position. 

Fortunately, the team does have options with Carson Williams as their top prospect, who could be the starter. However, the recent news is that second baseman Gavin Lux will also be starting the year on the injured list. 

Starting Infield Banged Up

Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Gavin Lux | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This winter, one of the major moves for the team was the decision to trade All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe in a three-team deal to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The slugger was one of the best offensive players at his position, and replacing that was always going to be tough. 

Lux was brought in from the Cincinnati Reds, with the vision that he would be the starter a majority of the time at the position. Now, with him starting the year on the injured list, Tampa Bay will be turning to Richie Palacios, who was just recently optioned to the minors. 

#Rays news: 2B Gavin Lux is going on the IL due to right shoulder impingement, Richie Palacios will make the opening day roster.

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 23, 2026

Fortunately, even though Lux was the projected starter, Ben Williamson has also performed well this spring, and it very well could be him as the starter to begin the year. This spring, Williamson has slashed .333/.417/.500 with two home runs and nine RBI. 

In a perfect world, the starting infield for the Rays would be healthy coming into the year. However, that isn’t going to be the case for at least a little while. While the injury to Lux doesn’t seem overly concerning, Walls is going to be out for what appears to be a month. 

Tampa Bay does have some depth in the middle of their infield which is good, it is going to be tested now. At the plate, the Rays could arguably be better with some of the options that they could deploy, but Walls is an elite defender at shortstop. 

Hopefully, Tampa Bay will get healthy soon, as it is far from ideal having the projected infield being on the injured list to start the season. However, this will provide players like Williams with a chance to step up.