Justyn-Henry Malloy turns in stellar VWL debut

Malloy was designated for assignment on Saturday, but he elected to stay with the Rays organization in the minor leagues. He remains a depth piece in a crowded outfield.

Malloy never wound up appearing in a game for the Rays after being acquired from the Tigers in a small trade back in early January. The 26-year-old has hit just .209/.311/.346 with nine homers and one steal in 357 plate appearances over 123 games in the majors since 2024. At just 26 years old, there’s probably another organization out there willing to roll the dice on Malloy as a low-risk reclamation project.

Boyle has shown the ability to miss bats with electric stuff, but he’s also shown he rarely has any idea where his arsenal will end up, so he won’t make the Opening Day roster. Both Malloy and Palacios figure to be up-and-down for Tampa Bay as bench options.

Malloy jolted Tampa Bay ahead by scalding 102.1 mph two-run double into the left-center field gap off Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson in the fourth inning. He brought home an additional run in the sixth by scorching a 105.7 mph single to left field against veteran reliever Liam Hendriks. The 26-year-old came over from Detroit in an offseason trade and could wind up being a classic change of scenery breakthrough candidate if he winds up getting a real chance with the Rays. It would likely take an injury for him to get an extended look, but he’ll be a name to keep on fantasy managers’ radar screens, especially in deeper mixed leagues.

It’s still early in spring training, so there is no real cause for concern with Simpson being sidelined. However, his main attribute is speed, so any lingering hamstring soreness would be a major wrench in his value to both the Rays and fantasy managers. The Rays also added Cedric Mullins, Jacob Melton, Justyn-Henry Malloy, and Jake Fraley this offseason, so Simpson is not guaranteed a spot in this outfield.

Malloy was designated for assignment by the Tigers late in December, but the two teams were able to facilitate a trade before he went through waivers. The 25-year-old hit .221/.346/.308 in 127 plate appearances for the Tigers last season, but he also hit .322/.453/.502 with nine home runs and six steals in 72 games at Triple-A. He has tremendous plate discipline and has never been able to pull the ball in the Majors at the same rate that he did in Triple-A, so you can see why Tampa Bay felt like taking a shot on him. He has two more option years, so he does not have to make the big league club out of spring training.

The 25-year-old Malloy gets bumped from the 40-man roster after hitting .221/.346/.308 in 127 plate appearances in the majors last season. The on-base skills are real, but between his modest power, his struggles to hit for average and his lack of defensive ability, he seems like a fringy major leaguer. We still imagine someone will claim him off waivers and see if maybe they can get him to generate more bat speed. That he has two option years left is nice.

Keith has been added to Detroit’s roster after missing the club’s Wild Card Series against Cleveland with right rib cage inflammation. The 24-year-old figures to get plenty of opportunities to face Seattle’s righty-heavy rotation. Reliever Brenan Hanifee is the only other new addition with Justyn-Henry Malloy and Paul Sewald being excluded.

Malloy will be up to potentially provided some help off the bench — or get some time against left-handers — for the final five games of the season. Jace Jung was optioned to Toledo in the corresponding move.

Malloy returns to the minors with Chris Paddack back from bereavement leave. There isn’t a spot for him with Detroit now that center fielder Parker Meadows is back from the injured list.