Rays projected starting second baseman Gavin Lux has been battling through a right shoulder impingement, with manager Kevin Cash saying the team was in a time crunch ahead of Opening Day.
As the best cure for such irritations in the rotator cuff region is rest, the Rays have opted to move Lux to the injured list to start his Rays career, clearing a roster spot for Richie Palacios to make the Opening Day roster.
Palacios has had a long road to making the Rays 2026 roster, having been expected to make the team out of Spring Training in 2025 until he suffered a broken finger. Palacios returned for one game on April 17 before picking up yet another injury through a right knee sprain. He wouldn’t make his way back to the Rays until September, with 2025 getting chalked up as a lost year.
On the bright side, Palacios was able to finish the year with a 138 wRC+ over 48 plate appearances, so hopefully the left handed hitting utility man can make an impact early on. No matter what happens, Lux will be expected to receive a roster slot when he returns from injury.
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