How handling of depth issues helped Rays climb to top of standings

The Rays that have been taking the field lately don't look much like they were supposed to.

Starter Ryan Pepiot, high-leverage reliever Edwin Uceta and new second baseman Gavin Lux, all slated for key roles, have not touched the field due to injuries.

As the Rays went on a sizzling six-week run anyway and built the majors' best record, more players with hands in their success were sidelined by assorted medical matters.

Outfielders Jake Fraley and Jonny DeLuca are likely out until July. Reliever Jesse Scholtens will miss at least a few weeks.

Infielder Ben Williamson returned to action Friday after two weeks down - and apparently survived being hit on the left elbow by a pitch. Shortstop Taylor Walls also got back on the field after sitting out two games. Reliever Cole Sulser was activated Saturday after missing two weeks.

Despite all the players they've been missing, the Rays through a series of role adjustments, call-ups and acquisitions continue to add wins, reaching the one-third point of the season Friday with an American League-best 35-19 record.

"At no point this entire season have we been fully healthy or close to it," baseball operations president Erik Neander said. "That's where it's important to have additional lines of defense ready to go that can come in, contribute, make the most of their opportunities. And for the most part, on both sides of the ball, we've had players that have done that."

It hasn't gone smoothly the whole time, as the Rays lost a season-high four straight games to wrap up their last trip and looked bad in doing so before returning home to beat the Angels Friday.

Though several players slated for limited duty have stepped into larger roles and others were called up from Triple-A Durham, the Rays also have had to go outside several times to find help (and are likely looking for more, lacking a right-handed-hitting centerfield option with DeLuca down).

And there is likely a limit to how many holes they can reasonably cover.

"Our depth, it's taken a toll here," manager Kevin Cash said. "Those are key players in how we have had success, and I think it did show up a little bit on this last road trip. We're just going to have to withstand it a little bit."

Hopefully, Walls said, not too much further.

"We're at our best when we're all healthy. I think we can see that with the run we were on when everybody was here," he said. "But things happen. As much as you want it to be perfect and everybody to stay healthy all year, you know that at some point you're going to have to rely on that depth and guys are going to have to step up.

"We're at a point now to where we've got to try to not let it get too out of hand, try to stay as healthy as we can, stay on the field. There's only so much depth, regardless of how deep you are in Triple A, or whatever the case may be. The guys that we've had at this point have stepped up, it's been awesome, and it's time to keep doing it. ... There's definitely a limit there."

Neander acknowledged as much.

"We are certainly a little thin at the moment, but there's no excuses," he said. "That's part of the game. We've got to have players available to step up and fill those spaces. We certainly have had a lot of that so far."

The injuries have been assorted, and spread throughout the rotation, bullpen, lineup and bench. Even some players called up as replacements, such as starter Joe Boyle (who took Pepiot's place in the season-opening rotation), got hurt. Lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger opened the season healthy but was sidelined after three appearances and missed a month.

Since the end of spring training, the Rays have had 13 players go on the injured list (in addition to two recovering from injuries and a third who started camp hurt).

With Friday's call-up of right-hander Andrew Wantz from Durham, they already have had 39 players on the active roster and know they'll need more.

"In some of our most successful years ... you look back and it's often 50-plus players that you know pitched or played a position for you to get to that point," Neander said. "You're always aware that you're going to need more than what you start with.

"We've always been very intentional about trying to bring the best possible player into each level of opportunity we have available. If you do that, if our staff does a good job with that and the players do their part, then you can weather things like this. And I think for the most part we have."

The Rays addressed the injury issues in three ways:

1) Giving more opportunity to players already on the team, such as infielder Richie Palacios, infielder/outfielder Ryan Vilade and reliever Ian Seymour.

Palacios was optioned to Triple A late in spring but was recalled when Lux was placed on the IL. He has started 30 games at second base, including 11 of the last 13 through Friday.

"When I'm able to do anything to help the team, I'm always excited," Palacios said.

Vilade, a right-handed hitter, had been limited to the short side of platoon action in the outfield and at first base. After initially seeing limited action, he has started 10 of the last 19 games.

Seymour made the roster as a long reliever, but with Cleavinger hurt he showed he could get key outs in big moments, earning his first two saves and three wins in May.

2) Getting reinforcements from Triple A.

After the opening-day roster additions of Boyle, Palacios and Carson Williams (who started six of nine games with Walls out due to an oblique issue), the Durham shuttle has been busy.

Call-ups include relievers Hunter Bigge, Scholtens, Joe Rock (since traded), Trevor Martin (twice), Chase Solesky (twice), Aaron Brooks, Jon Heasley and Wantz; outfielder Victor Mesa Jr.; and Williams again.

3) Seeking outside help.

As much as the Rays try to stock their Triple-A roster to accommodate any need at the big-league level, they felt there were some better options elsewhere.

They got reliever Casey Legumina from the Mariners after he had been designated for assignment and shortstop-capable infielder Oliver Dunn from the White Sox, who had him at Triple A. Signing reliever Craig Kimbrel last week after he was released by the Mets added a been-there, done-that veteran whose stuff had looked intriguingly good.

"We've done a really good job with all the moving pieces to put ourselves in a place to be incredibly competitive the remainder of the year," starter Drew Rasmussen said.

"That's kudos to everyone that's had to step up and fill shoes that maybe we weren't ever asking them to in the offseason or into spring training. Everyone's kind of pulled their weight, and so it definitely is kudos to everyone in this room who's been a part of the success in the early going. And I know we are looking forward to getting our guys back."

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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 9:19 AM.