RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesThe Tampa Bay Rays could possibly be entering a very tough spot.
Although the team had just picked up its 70th win on Saturday night after taking down the Seattle Mariners and clinching the series on the road, the team is starting to see the injury bug sneak up on them post-MLB trade deadline.
With no replacements coming for the Major League roster unless it's coming from the Tampa Bay farm system, the question becomes if the team can hold off some of the most surging organizations in baseball, including the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
Earlier this week, the Rays were forced to place infielder Ben Williamson on the injured list. According to Kevin Cash, he is expected to miss significant time due to a hamstring injury and will likely be out for most of the regular season, if not all of it.
Add in another potential scare that happened on Saturday, infielder Taylor Walls was scratched from the game against the Mariners with back tightness. He was replaced in the lineup by Carson Williams, who has recently been called up to replace Williamson, but it appears that this one may not be as major as once feared. Walls played in the game later in the innings on Saturday and appears an injured list stint will not be needed for him.
However, it's worth mentioning that, although Erik Neander and the Rays front office did a very good job at the MLB trade deadline, they did not address adding depth inside the infield. With players such as Luis Arraez, who was heavily rumored to be the favorite to land with the Rays, heading to the Philadelphia Phillies, the team pivoted in a different direction and did not address the spot that is now dealing with even more injuries, something that has happened all season long.
The team has been without infielder Gavin Lux since spring training, and with these new injuries, regardless of whether minor or not, they still bring concern about whether the team can hold off their AL East rivals.
The team is also awaiting pitcher Shane McClanahan to return from his back injury, and on Saturday, another pitcher, Griffin Jax, was scratched due to elbow discomfort.
It's paramount that the Rays' rotation stays healthy. If not, they could be in trouble down the stretch and potentially limit themselves from going deep into the postseason.
Tampa Bay did pick up Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets at the deadline. However, his first start did not go well, and he has not had a good season thus far. As early as last year, when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was seen as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.
The potential is clearly there.
The Rays, who are very good at bringing out the best in a player and bringing a resurgence back to their career, will have to find a way to re-unlock Peralta over the next stretch.
And they will have to do so while ensuring the rest of the team can stay healthy. Depth will continue to be a question mark the rest of the way for Tampa Bay. And if they would like to compete for their first-ever World Series title in 2026, they must be fully loaded heading into October.
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