Walls (oblique) will serve as the Rays' designated hitter and No. 3 batter Thursday in a split-squad Grapefruit League game against Atlanta, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Walls is making his spring debut Thursday after he reported to camp battling an oblique strain that has prompted the Rays to bring him along slowly in workouts. The Rays will ease Walls back into the lineup in a non-defensive role, and he could be limited to DH duties for at least a couple more days before he gets the green light to make a start in the infield. Manager Kevin Cash has said that he anticipates Walls being ready to go for Opening Day, but that will be contingent on Walls avoiding any setbacks with the oblique during Grapefruit League play.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Could return Thursday
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The Rays are targeting a return for Walls (oblique) on Thursday, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports.
Walls has been out of action since the beginning of spring training with an oblique strain. The Rays and manager Kevin Cash have insisted that the infielder would be ready for the start of the regular season, and a return to the Grapefruit League lineup two weeks before the start of the campaign seems to make that likely. Walls will likely serve as a utility infielder in 2023, and his role won't have much fantasy relevance unless he earns a bigger opportunity.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Still on track for Opening Day
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Rays manager Kevin Cash said Tuesday that he still anticipates Walls (oblique) being ready to go for Opening Day, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. "As of right now, I'm not worried about 'Wallsy.' I'm confident he'll be ready," Cash said.
Walls has been sidelined since the beginning of spring training with an oblique strain, but Cash and the Rays' training staff have apparently noticed enough progress from the infielder to become convinced that he's on track for the start of the regular season. Cash didn't specify where exactly Walls stands in his recovery, however, and the 26-year-old will almost certainly need to get at-bats in a handful of Grapefruit League games or minor-league exhibitions before he's formally cleared for Opening Day. Walls started in 122 of his 142 appearances for Tampa Bay in 2022 but is likely to serve as more of a short-side platoon option/utility man in the infield when all of Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco, Brandon Lowe and Isaac Paredes are available.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Resume baseball activities
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Walls (oblique) resumed light baseball activities Thursday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Walls has been dealing with a strained oblique since the start of camp but is "progressing well," Rays manager Kevin Cash said Thursday. It sounds like he probably has a ways to go before being cleared for game action, though.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Dealing with oblique injury
Rotowire
Walls has been sidelined at the start of spring camp with an oblique injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The infielder has not been able to participate in Grapefruit League activities while dealing with the injury. Walls is expected to serve as a backup infielder with Tampa Bay after hitting just .172.268/.285 with eight homers and 10 steals over 466 plate appearances across 142 games with the Rays in 2022. There should be further updates on Walls' status as the spring progresses.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Sits for Game 2
Rotowire
Walls will be on the bench for Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Guardians on Saturday.
The light-hitting infielder started at second base in Game 1 but failed to record any of the Rays' three hits and was eventually lifted for a pinch hitter. Tampa Bay will try to get a bit more offense going with its Game 2 alignment. Isaac Paredes will start at second base, leaving Walls to serve as nothing more than a potential defensive replacement.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Won't start Monday
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Walls is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
The newly recalled Vidal Brujan will get a start at the keystone while Walls rests after making three straight starts out of the middle infield. With Brandon Lowe (back) done for the season, Walls is poised to serve as the Rays' primary second baseman for what's left of the regular season and for the duration of Tampa Bay's playoff run.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Slugs eighth homer
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Walls went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored Friday against the Astros.
Walls was in the lineup for the fourth time in the Rays' last five games, and he tallied his eighth homer of the season in the eighth inning against Phil Maton. He has tallied a home run and a stolen base with four runs scored in that same five-game span. Walls also had two long balls, three stolen bases and 12 runs scored across 23 games in September, though he hit just .185 for the month.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Takes seat Thursday
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Walls is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Guardians, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Walls has a .561 OPS through 21 games in September and will head to the bench for Thursday's series finale. Jonathan Aranda will step in at the keystone and bat leadoff.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Tallies 10th stolen base
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Walls went 1-for-4 with a stolen base and a run scored Tuesday against the Guardians.
Walls reached base on a one-out single in the second inning and stole second base. He has 10 steals on the season, three of which have come since Sept. 7. Walls has struggled otherwise, maintaining just a .173/.264/.281 line with seven home runs and 51 runs scored across 445 plate appearances on the campaign. Even so, Walls has started in both of the Rays' past two games against right-handed pitchers and appears to have at least temporarily emerged as the team's preferred option at second base ahead of Jonathan Aranda.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Returns to lineup Sunday
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Walls (groin) is starting at second base and hitting ninth Sunday against the Blue Jays.
Walls had been making appearances off the bench this weekend, but this is his first start since Thursday. He is hitting .171 with one home run and two steals in 18 games this month.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Still not starting
Rotowire
Walls (groin) isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Blue Jays, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Walls was scratched from Friday's lineup due to right groin tightness, but he appeared off the bench and scored a run. It's not yet clear whether he'll be available off the bench Saturday.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Scratched from Friday's lineup
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Walls was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Blue Jays due to right groin tightness, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Walls has been on the bench for three of the last four games, and he was removed from Friday's lineup a few hours before the start of the game. The severity of his injury isn't yet clear, but Miles Mastrobuoni will enter the lineup at the keystone and bat seventh.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Back on bench after three starts
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Walls is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Astros, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Walls closed out the Rays' weekend series with the Rangers by making three consecutive starts out of the middle infield while going 2-for-9 with a home run, a walk, two RBI and two additional runs. Though he'll be on the bench Monday, Walls should see his opportunities pick up following the recent placement of Brandon Lowe (back) on the injured list. Walls will be vying for playing time at the keystone with Jonathan Aranda and Isaac Paredes.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Steals bag in victory
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Walls went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a stolen base in Wednesday's win over the Red Sox.
Walls drove in the only run of the game on a fifth-inning single off righty starter Nick Pivetta, and the shortstop followed up with a double in the seventh. Walls has had even more trouble than usual generating power in his last 14 games with just one extra-base hit in 45 at-bats. The 26-year-old is serviceable at home, slashing .250/.323/.430 in 193 plate appearances, compared to .108/.216/.145 in 214 plate appearances away from Tampa Bay.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Will not start Tuesday
Rotowire
Walls is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox.
Walls started the last nine games for the Rays, but he tallied just three hits in 32 at-bats (.094) over that span, so manager Kevin Cash decided to give him a day to clear his head. Yu Chang will start at shortstop in Walls' place.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Day off Thursday
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Walls is not in the starting lineup against the Angels on Thursday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.
Walls will take a seat after he went 2-for-10 with three RBI and a run scored while starting the first three games of the series. Yu Chang will take over at shortstop and bat eighth in the series finale.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Drives in two, scores once
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Walls went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored Tuesday against the Angels.
Walls delivered a single in the seventh inning and came around to score in the same frame to account for his production. The effort was only his third-multi hit game since the All-Star break, and Walls has hit just .190 -- albeit while generating a .333 on-base percentage -- with eight RBI and 13 runs scored across 29 games in that span. He figures to remain the Rays' primary shortstop until Wander Franco (wrist) is able to return.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Idle Sunday
Rotowire
Walls is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Yu Chang will draw the start at shortstop while Walls sits in the series finale. Walls had previously started in each of the Rays' last 11 games while slashing .242/.375/.424 with a home run, three doubles, six runs, four RBI, a stolen base and, perhaps most impressively, a 7:5 BB:K.
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Rays' Taylor Walls: Hits two-run homer
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Walls went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 8-2 victory over Baltimore.
Walls launched a two-run shot in the eighth inning that sent Jose Siri home and gave the Rays an 8-2 lead, which they would hold for the win. The homer was his sixth of the year and his second this month. While he only picked up one hit, the shortstop reached via walk twice. Walls also avoided a strikeout in the outing, his second such game out of nine this month. He is now batting .185 in August and .172 for the year.
