Rays Place Jonny DeLuca On 10-Day Injured List With Shoulder Strain
The Tampa Bay Rays placed outfielder Jonny DeLuca (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a right-shoulder strain and recalled infielder Coco Montes in a corresponding move, according to the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. It's bad timing, as DeLuca had started off his second season with the Rays strong, going 10-for-23 with a triple, RBI, four stolen bases and four runs scored in his first nine games. It seems unlikely that the 26-year-old outfielder will be ready to return from the IL when he's eligible to be activated on April 17, but hopefully he'll be able to rejoin the major-league roster before the end of April. DeLuca joins Josh Lowe (oblique) and Richie Palacios (finger) on the IL, giving both young outfielders Kameron Misner and Jake Mangum a clear path to regular playing time in the season's first month in Tampa.
According to Adam Berry of MLB.com, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca is expected to begin the season as the team's starting center fielder. Last summer, Jose Siri was the everyday center fielder in Tampa Bay, but he was traded to the New York Mets during the offseason. As a result, DeLuca stands at the top of the depth chart and is expected to open the season as the top option. Across 107 games in Tampa Bay last summer, the Oregon product held a .217/.278/.331 line with 12 doubles, six home runs, and 16 stolen bases. While he did not generate elite hitting metrics, he was a top defender with speed. He placed in the 93rd percentile in outs above average and the 98th percentile in sprint speed. Richie Palacios will likely open the season as the No. 2 option behind DeLuca. If DeLuca has a successful spring training, he could be worth a look in deeper category formats as he has flashed elite speed.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielders Jose Siri and Jonny DeLuca are out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland Coliseum. Rookie Kameron Misner will play center field and hit eighth, while Dylan Carlson will draw into the lineup in left field and bat third against A's right-hander Osvaldo Bido. Siri will get a day of rest after going deep in each of his last two games. The 29-year-old Dominican is up to 16 home runs in his second full season in Tampa but is batting a dreadful .199/.270/.386 with a .656 OPS, 41 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 136 strikeouts in 106 games played. Carlson was struggling with injuries with the Cardinals before being acquired by Tampa at the trade deadline. The 25-year-old switch-hitter has only three home runs and 20 RBI on the year in 166 at-bats. Misner is still searching for his first big-league hit after fanning eight times in his first 11 trips to the plate.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday in the contest versus the visiting Boston Red Sox. It's the second straight game that DeLuca has been on the after a stretch where it looked like he was taking over regular center field duties from Jose Siri. Josh Lowe is in center field on Wednesday and is batting second, while Richie Palacios is in right field and is hitting eighth against Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello. DeLuca will continue to see chances in Tampa's outfield, but it looks like it will continue to be sporadic playing time and could mostly only come against left-handed starters. The 25-year-old former 25th-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019 out of Oregon has hit better than Siri this year, going 12-for-46 (.261) with two homers, 12 RBI and four stolen bases.
Jonny DeLuca Hits Go-Ahead Two-Run Homer On Saturday Afternoon
Tampa Bay Rays rookie outfielder Jonny DeLuca hit a go-ahead home run Saturday afternoon against the Toronto Blue Jays' Nate Pearson. He also stole a base after getting the start in right field today. DeLuca is hitting .306 through 14 games with two home runs, 12 RBI, and three stolen bases. He has been productive in a small sample size despite a crowded outfield that also includes Josh Lowe, Jose Siri, and Randy Arozarena. DeLuca may be a rosterable outfielder in deeper leagues at this time while he stays hot.
Josh Lowe Out Of Saturday’s Lineup, Jonny DeLuca In
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Josh Lowe is not in Saturday's lineup as the Rays continue a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays. Lowe made his season debut on May 6 after suffering an oblique strain and a hamstring issue this offseason. Through his first ten games of the season, the 26-year-old has a .263/.333/.526 slash line with two long balls. As a result, Jonny DeLuca will get the starting nod in right field and bat in the five-hole. DeLuca has been swinging a hot bat over his past six games with a .364/.462/.455 slash line. However, the right-handed bat does face Kevin Gausman today and is best to fade in DFS. Even though Gausman has struggled with a 4.95 ERA this season, he has been dominant against right-handed batters with a 23:4 K:BB ratio, suggesting that DeLuca may have a difficult task awaiting him this afternoon.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca is out of the starting lineup again on Thursday against the Red Sox in Boston at Fenway Park. Jose Siri is starting in center field again and is batting ninth against Red Sox right-hander Cooper Criswell. DeLuca has now been on the bench in three of the last four games as the Rays mix Siri back into center field on a more regular basis. It hasn't helped that both Josh Lowe and Jonathan Aranda have returned to the Rays recently. The 25-year-old DeLuca recently started nine games in a row in Tampa's outfield and is hitting .281 (9-for-32) with a homer, 10 RBI and two stolen bases in just 12 games in 2024. DeLuca could get another shot if an injury opens up more playing time, but for now, he appears to be the odd man out.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca went 2-for-4 with a single, a two-run home run, and four RBI in Monday's 8-2 win over the White Sox. The 25-year-old has looked good at the plate in limited at-bats, slashing .333/.375/.667 with 10 RBI and two stolen bases in just 16 plate appearances. The Rays' treatment of prospects is always tough to predict, but DeLuca could be a fantasy name to watch if he can continue to hit and earn regular playing time.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca (hand) will make his team debut on Friday when the team takes on the visiting New York Mets and left-hander Jose Quintana. The 25-year-old was part of the return in a trade that sent Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot to the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason. He suffered a broken hand on a hit-by-pitch in spring training but raked on his Triple-A rehab assignment, hitting .300 with two homers, six RBI, a stolen base, and a 1.090 OPS across 25 trips to the plate with the Durham Bulls. DeLuca debuted with a solid .262 average with two homers, a stolen base, and a .740 OPS across 24 games with the Dodgers last season.
An x-ray confirmed that Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca (hand) suffered a broken right hand after being hit by a pitch during Sunday's 7-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Boston Red Sox. DeLuca is slated to be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks, but it's a difficult setback for a player who was pushing to be a part of Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster. Over 13 spring training at-bats, the 25-year-old hit .308 with a .746 OPS, one RBI, and one stolen base. Although Ryan Pepiot was the centerpiece of this past offseason's Tyler Glasnow trade for the Rays, DeLuca slashed a respectable .262./311/.429 with two home runs, six RBI, and one swipe across 42 ABs with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. Jose Siri's playing time in center field has become solidified with DeLuca now on the shelf, while Tampa is likely to maintain a platoon approach at designated hitter between Jonathan Aranda and Harold Ramirez.
Jonny DeLuca
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