Rays' Prospect Will Have More Opportunities to Impress With Cedric Mullins Injured

Which player will have a chance to step up for the Tampa Bay Rays with Cedric Mullins injured?

Feb 27, 2026; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) hits an sacrifice fly to score a run during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

As the Tampa Bay Rays get set for the start of the regular season, a recent injury could open the door for a young prospect to get some more opportunities. 

With the start of the regular season quickly approaching for the Rays, they are trying to figure out what the roster is going to look like for Opening Day. This was a team that went through a lot of changes this winter, and they still have some moving parts on the roster. 

One of the main areas that they were focused on improving was in their outfield. This was a unit in 2025 that was not good offensively for the most part. Now, they will have mostly a completely new group with Chandler Simpson being one of the few players to return. 

Furthermore, one of the key signings they made this winter was Cedric Mullins. The former All-Star is projected to be the starting center fielder for the team but was forced out of the lineup on Wednesday with back tightness, and it seems like it could become something worth monitoring. 

With Mullins sidelined, it is going to give some more opportunities to young players on the team, and one who could try to make his case to be on the Opening Day roster is Jacob Melton. 

Can Melton Make an Impression?

Houston Astros left fielder Jacob Melton | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

As Tampa Bay looked toward the future by trading Brandon Lowe, the top prize that they got in return was Melton from the Houston Astros. The young outfielder might not have hit the ground running in his debut with the team last year, but he is a highly regarded prospect who is elite defensively and has some power. 

However, due to all of the new additions in the outfield like Mullins and Jake Fraley, it was a bit uncertain about where Melton might fit into the plans early on. If Tampa Bay were to have him on the Opening Day roster, they would undoubtedly want him to be playing every day to help with his development. However, with a lot of depth for the unit, that could be tricky. 

With Mullins dealing with a bit of a back issue now, there are going to be some more opportunities for Melton to impress in the next few days. So far, he has flashed some positive signs in spring training, but he will need to continue that to make the team right out of the gate.