Rays' Most Glaring Question at Second Base Before Opening Day

What area is a question for the Tampa Bay Rays before Opening Day?

Aug 16, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; A Tampa Bay Rays helmet sits in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With Opening Day for the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday against the St. Louis Cardinals, the team will be hoping to start a lengthy road trip to begin the season on a positive note. 

It has been a very busy offseason for the Rays, and they will be excited to get ready for the start of the season. While the roster isn’t totally set right now because of some late injuries, the unit is largely put together. 

Recently, Tampa Bay saw their starting infield head to the injured list and that is not ideal with the start of the season here. Both Taylor Walls and Gavin Lux were projected to be the starting second baseman and shortstop, and both will be out for the beginning of the year. 

Of the two, Walls is going to be out for a longer period of time, but the Rays do have some options at the position to fill in for him, including their top prospect. At second base, Lux was brought in to be the replacement for Brandon Lowe, who the team traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The talented slugger was one of the best hitters on the team and also at his position. Now, there has to be a concern about whether or not they will get enough offensive production from the position. 

Will Lowe’s Production Be Replaced

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Ben Williamson | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

With Lux out to begin the year, it is likely that Ben Williamson and Richie Palacios will get a majority of the action at the position. Williamson was expected to make the team prior to the injury to Lux and be used as a potential platoon option for him. 

The Rays brought in Williamson in a bit of an under-the-radar trade with the Seattle Mariners, and he had an excellent spring. In the case of Palacios, he was set to start the season in the minors before the injury to Lux. With Lowe totaling over 30 home runs last year, it is unlikely that any of the options will be able to truly replace that. 

For Tampa Bay, seeing two starters go down with injury right before the start of the season is far from ideal. Hopefully, they will both be back and able to contribute soon. However, the team does have some decent options at least to weather the early storm of injuries to begin the campaign. Williamson will have a great opportunity to prove himself early and could end up being a key contributor.