The Rays announced three moves this morning, including news of that outfielder Jake Fraley placed (retroactive to May 16) on the 10-day injured list due to hernia. Shortstop Carson Williams was called up from Triple-A Durham to replace Fraley on the 26-man roster. Tampa also noted that the right-hander Aaron Brooks released to Triple-A after clearing waivers.
Fraley was scratched from yesterday’s roster, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported yesterday that the pitcher was going to play in the IL (and that Williams was the likely replacement). It is not yet known how long Fraley may be sidelined, although Topkin floated an average of six weeks depending on the severity of the hernia.
The Rays said Fraley pulled the strings on waivers from the Braves last November, then waived him during the non-tender period only to re-sign the outfielder to a one-year, $3MM contract a week later. The left-handed hitting Fraley has been used almost exclusively in platoon duty in right field, though he has yet to walk at the plate, hitting .232/.300/.390 over 90 plate appearances.
Johnny DeLuca again Ryan Vilade each used as a right-handed hitting support within the right field group. Tampa Bay can give more playing time to the outfielder while Fraley is sidelined, or stick to the lineup by using Richie Palacios (left-handed bat) in right field instead of his usual second base. Topkin believes the latter scenario is possible, as evidenced by the call-up of Williams to add to the Rays’ depth.
Heralded as one of baseball’s top prospects during his MLB debut last season, Williams remains a top-100 player off the roster heading into the 2026 campaign. Between 32 games in 2025 and seven games this season, Williams hit just .164/.209/.320 over 131 PA against the big leagues. His numbers in Triple-A weren’t stellar either – Williams hit .216/.318/.433 with 28 homers over 607 PA for Durham.
Williams struck out 203 times in 607 trips to the plate in Triple-A, while also striking out 53 times in his 131 PA appearances. While Williams is less than a month shy of his 23rd birthday, the shocking number of throws and misses in his game may have already lowered his stock as a potential Rays building block. Defensively, Williams played shortstop but signed a handful of games as a second and third baseman, so he could get some action at the keystone if Palacios was given an overtime ticket in right field.
Brooks was signed to a minor league contract in April, and was designated off the roster by the Rays last weekend for what ended up being a short stint with the club. The righty’s one appearance led to an 81.00 ERA over three innings of work, as Brooks allowed a walkoff grand slam to Daulton Varsho Wednesday lost 5-3 to the Blue Jays.
Tampa Bay designated Brooks for assignment two days ago, and now that Brooks has cleared waivers, the ball is in his court regarding his future with the team. Because Brooks has been outspoken in the past, he may not be able to turn down this latest offer in favor of free agency.
