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Rays infielder Jonathan Aranda suffered a damaged ring finger whereas fielding a grounder yesterday and can endure surgical procedure to position a pin in his finger, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Instances. He’s anticipated to overlook a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks recovering. He’ll open the season on the key league injured checklist.
It’s an unlucky setback for the 25-year-old Aranda, who’s torn by way of minor league pitching at each cease however hasn’t but had a possibility to carve out a daily function on the MLB degree in a crowded Rays infield. He’d been slated for a largely common function to start the 12 months, splitting time between designated hitter and maybe at first base. He’ll now head to the injured checklist as a substitute.
Aranda has logged 190 huge league plate appearances, however they’ve come briefly stints and with sparse enjoying time. He’s batted simply .212/.311/.345 with 4 homers, an 11.1% stroll price and 28.4% strikeout price in that point. That output pales compared to the manufacturing Aranda has turned in as a daily within the minors. He slashed .325/.410/.540 on the Double-A degree earlier than crushing Triple-A opponents at a .328/.421/.565 clip in 899 plate appearances over the previous two seasons. He’s slugged 43 homers, walked at a 12.1% clip and fanned at a 20.8% clip in that 199-game pattern of Triple-A motion.
Aranda’s damage will probably open the door for extra at-bats for righty-swinging Harold Ramirez and/or fellow right-handed-hitting Curtis Mead. The previous has been a plus hitter in two seasons with the Rays, slashing .306/.348/.432 (123 wRC+) in 869 journeys to the plate from 2022-23. There was appreciable discuss of a possible Ramirez commerce over the winter, and whereas nothing could be totally dominated out previous to the season for a Rays membership that’s ever-active on the commerce market, Ramirez appears fairly probably headed for a 3rd straight 12 months with Tampa Bay.
Mead, in the meantime, made his huge league debut in 2023 and hit .253/.326/.349 in 92 plate appearances of his personal. The 23-year-old Aussie has ranked as one of many sport’s prime total prospects for the previous couple seasons and carries a stout .296/.385/.520 slash with 13 homers, 29 doubles, a pair of triples, a 12.2% stroll price and an 18% strikeout price in 377 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s a bat-first prospect who’s hung out at third base, second base and first base, together with his bat-to-ball abilities and plus uncooked energy standing as his carrying instruments. Since each Mead and Ramirez are bat-first gamers, slotting both right into a semi-regular DH function may have some attraction for the Rays — a minimum of till Aranda returns. That would set the stage for a possible DH platoon, whereas Mead may additionally platoon with lefty-swinging second baseman Brandon Lowe within the infield as properly.
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