Palacios will see some time at third base during spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Palacios has shown versatility during his major-league career, where he has seen most of his playing time in the outfield corners and at second base. He should get a fair amount of playing time at the keystone behind Gavin Lux. Although Palacios has played third base in just two major-league games, theRays expanding his utility in order to improve his chances of making the Opening Day roster. Palacios slashed .333/396/.452 with four steals, one home run and three RBI across 48 plate appearances for Tampa Bay in 2025.

Bigge (face) threw live batting practice Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After pitching eight games in the Dominican Winter League, Bigge appears to be just about all the way back from the multiple facial fractures he suffered when he was hit by a foul ball in June of last season. The 27-year-old right-hander said Sunday that he's fully cleared medically, and the expectation is that Bigge will be competing for a spot in Tampa Bay's Opening Day bullpen during spring training.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday thatUceta arrived at camp with a "cranky shoulder" and won't be available to pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic as a result, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Cash labeled the decision to pull Uceta out of the WBC as precautionary and indicated that the Rays fully expect the right-hander to be ready to go for Opening Day. The team heads into the upcoming season without a set closer after letting Pete Fairbanks walk in free agency, and Uceta could factor into the team's late-inning mix if his shoulder isn't a concern. The 28-year-old netted one save and 21 holds over 70 appearances last season while racking up an impressive 103 strikeouts across 76 frames.

DeLuca (hamstring/quad) is likely to see regular at-bats against left-handed pitching this season, per John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times.

DeLuca stands out as one of Tampa Bay's few right-handed-hitting outfielders, considering the club's primary options consist of as lefty-hitters Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins and Jake Fraley. DeLuca ended the 2025 season on the 60-day injured list due to a right quadriceps strain, so he'll need to prove he's healthy during spring training before theRays trust him to handle this role. The 27-year-old posted a promising .812 OPS with six stolen bases through 59 regular-season plate appearances amidst an injury-plagued 2025 campaign, and it doesn't sound like he'll open the new year in a spot for everyday action.

TheRays placedRodriguez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Rodriguez underwent surgery in July to repair the flexor tendon in his right elbow, and he will now return to the IL to begin 2026 while he finishes up his rehab. His place on the 40-man roster will be filled by Nick Martinez, who signed a one-year deal with the Rays on Monday.

Rays pitching coach Kyle Snyder said Monday thatMcClanahan (triceps) has looked "really, really good" this offseason and is being "totally built up to start with the expectation" he'll be in Tampa Bay's rotation, Ryan Bass of FanDuel Sports Network Sun reports.

"The last six or eight weeks have been really, really good," Snyder said. "I think we'll consider the math in terms of the season and where he slots, but he's being totally built up to start, with the expectation that he'll be in our rotation." McClanahan hasn't thrown a regular-season pitch for the Rays since the 2023 campaign and was limited to just two rehab starts last season before eventually requiring season-ending surgery to repair a nerve issue in his triceps in August. McClanahan carries significant risk but also has immense upside as a fantasy target.

TheRays signedMartinez to a one-year, $13 million contract Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Martinez will turn 36 years old later this summer and pitched in 40 games for the Reds last season, making 26 starts. He posted a 4.45 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 116:42 K:BB across a career-high 165.2 innings. Capable of starting or working out of the bullpen, Martinez is expected to be part of the Rays' rotation, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

TheRays designatedWisely for assignment Friday.

Tampa Bay acquired Victor Mesa from the Marlins via trade. In order to make room on the 40-man roster, Wisely was designated for assignment. The 26-year-old spent time with San Francisco and Atlanta last season, appearing in 26 MLB games and posting a .594 OPS. He slashed .253/.332/.387 across 342 plate appearances with the Giants' Triple-A affiliate in 2025.

TheRays acquired Mesa from the Marlins on Friday in exchange for Angel Brachi.

Mesa made his big-league debut in 2025, appearing in 16 games with the Marlins and slashing .188/.297/.344 across 38 plate appearances. The 24-year-old had a strong .887 OPS across 171 plate appearances at Triple-A Jacksonville in 2025. The young outfielder will look to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Uceta will earn $1.525 million in 2026 after winning his arbitration hearing against theRays, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The Rays had offered Uceta $1.2 million. He will have three more years of arbitration eligibility. Uceta put up a 3.79 ERA and a 32.1 percent strikeout rate last season with the Rays and is expected to be part of a closer-by-committee during the upcoming season.

Walls (sports hernia) appears to be in position to begin the season as Tampa Bay's top shortstop, per Adam Berry of MLB.com.

With spring training on the horizon, Walls is set to compete primarily with top prospect Carson Williams for everyday reps at shortstop. Walls is coming off sports hernia surgery, which ended his 2025 campaign in August, so he'll need to prove he's healthy during Grapefruit League play as well. Even in a potential full-time role, the switch-hitting infielder could struggle for fantasy relevance after slashing just .220/.280/.319 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 36 runs scored and 14 stolen bases across 317 regular-season plate appearances (101 games) last year.

Waldichuk was designated for assignment by theRays on Monday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Waldichuk will lose out on his 40-man roster spot to make room for the addition of Ben Williamson, who was acquired earlier Monday from Seattle. Waldichuk spent the majority of his 2025 season at Triple-A, posting an 8.65 ERA and 2.06 WHIP across 51.0 innings (15 starts).

TheRays acquiredWilliamson from the Mariners on Monday as part of a three-team trade involving the Cardinals, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.

Brendan Donovan is headed to Seattle as part of the deal. Williamson is a glove-first third baseman who slashed just .253/.294/.310 with one homer in 85 regular-season games for the Mariners in 2025. He is now stuck behind Junior Caminero in Tampa Bay, so Williamson could begin the 2026 campaign at Triple-A Durham.

TheRays have extendedHopkins an invitation to big-league camp in spring training, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Hopkins was excellent at Double-A Montgomery this past season, collecting a 2.72 ERA and 141:60 K:BB over 116 innings. He has some of the best stuff of any pitching prospect in baseball and could become a legitimate ace if he's able to throw enough strikes. Hopkins isn't going to break camp with the big club, but there's a good chance he will debut at some point in 2026.

TheRays signedBooser to a minor-league contract Monday.

Booser was non-tendered by the White Sox earlier this offseason after finishing with a 5.52 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 35:19 K:BB over 31 innings during the 2025 campaign. The Rays will retain control of the lefty reliever through the 2030 season.