Gavin

Lux

Lux, on the IL with a shoulder impingement, was finally showing signs of life today, doubling twice in the first game of a doubleheader. He had been 1-for-24 through seven games. The injury came in the second game tonight while he was running out a grounder.

Lux will open the regular season on the shelf after a late-spring shoulder issue kept him from getting enough game action to be ready for Opening Day. He’ll presumably head to Triple-A Durham for a brief rehab assignment before making his Rays debut at some point in April.

Lux had missed time this spring with a “cranky” shoulder but returned to the lineup on Sunday. Apparently, he didn’t recover from that game as well as the Rays would have hoped. While his injury means that Richie Palacios will make the Opening Day roster, it’s unclear if Palacios or Ben Williamson will start at second base with Lux out. Palacios is a left-handed hitter, which would favor him, but neither player needs to be added in fantasy leagues right now.

Lux played second today after getting scratched Saturday with shoulder soreness. He also hit third ahead of Junior Caminero again, just as he did Friday. We’re not sure we understand that call, especially with fellow lefty Jonathan Aranda set to hit second, but perhaps it’s not something that will linger into the regular season.

Rays manager Kevin Cash described Lux’s as a “cranky” while speaking to reporters on Saturday morning. It’ll be Ryan Vilade, who is a near-lock to make Tampa Bay’s season-opening roster, taking over at the keystone while he recovers. Lux will open the year as the club’s starting second baseman but also figures to spend some time in the outfield, if needed. There’s a chance he opens the season on the injured list if his shoulder isn’t feeling better in time for next week’s opener.

The Rays never got specific about Lux’s upper body issue, but he missed nearly three weeks of spring games, which wouldn’t seem to make for a great first impression. Lux appears to be penciled in as Rays’ second baseman against righties after hitting .269/.350/.374 in more of a utility role for the Reds last year.

The 28-year-old infielder has been working his way through a vague upper body issue. He’s going to take live at-bats on the back fields on Sunday and as long as everything goes well with that session, he’ll be cleared to play on Tuesday. Barring any setbacks, he’ll be at second base for Opening Day.

Lux had been hit with the vague “overall spring training soreness,” so we guess a slightly less vague “undisclosed upper body issue” is a general upgrade on us trying to understand where he’s at. This qualifies as a positive update for Lux, who still figures to be the team’s regular at second base assuming this hasn’t set him back too far to be ready for Opening Day.

Lux is apparently “fine,” but it’s never great to be so sore after just a few days of work. It’s likely nothing to worry about, and Lux should be the regular second baseman for the Rays in 2026; however, he has three straight seasons with at least 470 plate appearances and has not produced much fantasy value, so it’s hard to get overly excited.

The 28-year-old saw most of his action with the Reds in left field or as a designated hitter in 2025 while playing a bit at second base and third base. It sounds like he’ll step in as the Rays’ regular second baseman, filling the void left by Brandon Lowe. Neander also noted that he’s fully confident in what Lux can provide both at the plate and in the field. Even if he’s slated for full-time action, it’s difficult to envision Lux having much fantasy value in 2026.