After hitting his first Triple-A home run earlier in the game, Rays top prospect Junior Caminero was forced to make an early exit from Sunday afternoon’s contest against the Norfolk Tides. He injured his left quad while running to first. According to Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times, Caminero “limped the last few steps to first base and eventually needed to be helped off the field.”
Caminero is set for further evaluation Monday. The severity of his injury is not yet clear, but it is worrisome that he was unable to walk off the field without assistance. The 20-year-old infielder is a consensus top-10 prospect in the game. While he failed to earn a spot on Tampa Bay’s Opening Day roster, he was a likely candidate to earn a call-up mid-season after gaining some experience at Triple-A. The extent of his injury will surely play a role in how soon he can make an impact at the big league level.
The Rays are already low on infield depth early in the season. Shortstop Taylor Walls is currently out recovering from offseason hip surgery, while first/second/third baseman Jonathan Aranda broke a finger during spring training. In addition, utility player Amed Rosario made his first two starts in right field with outfielders Josh Lowe and Jonny DeLuca on the IL.
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