Deluca got his first taste of the majors last season, slashing a respectable .262/.311/.429 with two homers, six RBI and a stolen base over a 24-game, 45-plate-appearance stint. The 25-year-old also showed well between Double-A and Triple-A with a .956 OPS, 17 homers, 53 RBI and 12 steals across 73 contests, and he's hit well in each of his minor-league stops, giving him little left to prove on the farm. It remains to be seen how well his minor-league power will translate in the big leagues, but Deluca is an exceptional athlete with a background in track (per Statcast, his sprint speed ranked in the 97th percentile last year) and an excellent glove. His ability to play all three outfield spots likely appealed to Tampa Bay when they acquired him from the Dodgers in the Tyler Glasnow trade. Deluca represents a premium short-side platoon option with the talent to expand his role if more playing time opens up.
DeLuca (hand) can hold a bat but is still experiencing soreness, MLB.com reports.
DeLuca is working his way back from a broken bone in his lower right hand. He remains without an exact timetable, but he is projected to return at some point in May.
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Rays' Jonny DeLuca: Goes on injured list
Rotowire
The Rays placed DeLuca (hand) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.
DeLuca fractured his right hand in early March and is expected to be sidelined until at least late April. He had been pegged as a short-side platoon outfielder before the injury and should be able to take hold of that role once he's healthy.
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Rays' Jonny DeLuca: Likely to land roster spot
Rotowire
DeLuca's ability to play center field is likely to land him an Opening Day roster spot, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.
DeLuca was acquired by the Rays this offseason as part of the return in the Tyler Glasnow trade. He made his big-league debut in 2023 and posted a 102 wRC+ while also playing above-average defense in the outfield. DeLuca is likely to enter the season as the Rays' fourth outfielder and the primary backup to Jose Siri in center field.
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Dodgers' Jonny DeLuca: Back healthy, optioned
Rotowire
DeLuca (hamstring) was activated from the injured list and optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Matthew Moreno of DodgerBlue.com reports.
DeLuca has been sidelined for slightly over a month with a right hamstring strain. He tallied two homers and one stolen base across 45 big-league plate appearances prior to going down, though his primary contribution to the Dodgers was his excellent defense. DeLuca could be called up again prior to the close of the regular season, though his playing time would likely be sporadic.
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Dodgers' Jonny DeLuca: Returns to majors
Rotowire
DeLuca was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
DeLuca lost his roster spot last week when the Dodgers signed Jake Marisnick, but now he's back with Marisnick landing on the injured list. He should see some starts in the outfield against left-handed pitching.
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Dodgers' Jonny DeLuca: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
DeLuca was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday.
The Dodgers brought in Jake Marisnick to occupy a short-side platoon role, allowing DeLuca to head back to Triple-A and get regular at-bats once more. Even though the 25-year-old has only been used in a limited capacity this season, he is still viewed as one of the Dodgers' top prospects and could play a larger role in the coming years. He hit .212 with one home run and one steal in 36 big-league plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Jonny DeLuca: Hits first big-league homer
Rotowire
DeLuca hit a solo home run in his only at-bat during Tuesday's 9-7 loss to the Pirates.
DeLuca gave the Dodgers a 7-6 lead in the eighth inning with his first major-league homer, but the Pirates rallied back in the ninth. Playing time remains sparse for DeLuca, who has served as outfield depth since his June 4 recall to the majors. He's batting .259 (7-for-27) with three RBI, a stolen base, four runs scored and a double over 30 plate appearances.
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Dodgers' Jonny DeLuca: Bumped up to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Dodgers promoted DeLuca from Double-A Tulsa to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City released outfielder Ben DeLuzio to clear a spot on the roster for DeLuca, who started in left field and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in his Triple-A debut in Tuesday's 4-3 win over Sugar Land. The 24-year-old DeLuca earned the bump up to Triple-A after leading Tulsa in OPS (.970) and slugging 10 home runs, placing him in a tie for second in the Texas League at the time of his promotion.
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Dodgers' Jonny DeLuca: Optioned to minors
Rotowire
DeLuca was optioned Monday to minor-league camp by the Dodgers.
DeLuca was rewarded with a 40-man roster spot in November after he blasted 25 homers and stole 17 bases with an .888 OPS between High-Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa last season. The 24-year-old could be an option for the Dodgers this summer, especially if he can replicate last year's production with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
