DUNEDIN, Fla. -- A year ago, Jonathan Aranda found out he made the Rays¡¯ Opening Day roster -- then promptly fractured a finger during infield practice, leaving him unavailable to start the season.
He¡¯s hoping for a better finish to Spring Training this time around.
On Thursday, Aranda crushed his first home run of the spring, an opposite-field shot off right-hander Bowden Francis in the Rays¡¯ 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays at TD Ballpark.
¡°I'm a little bit more relaxed, and I can concentrate on getting ready for the beginning of the season,¡± Aranda said through interpreter Eddie Rodriguez. ¡°For the last three years, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wanting. Finally, I¡¯ve got the opportunity.¡±
Aranda can work his way into the mix as a designated hitter and backup second baseman, but he¡¯s expected to play a lot of first base this season. That¡¯s because the Rays expect Yandy Díaz to see more time as their designated hitter this year.
Last season, D¨ªaz started 30 games as the DH. That was only a slightly lower total than the 32 starts he made there over the previous three years combined: five in 2021, 14 in ¡®22 and 13 in ¡®23. But he also played 145 games last season, compared to the 136 he averaged during the prior three-year stretch.
D¨ªaz has been remarkably durable in one sense. Aside from a one-day stint on the COVID-19 Injured List in April 2022, he hasn¡¯t been on the IL since September 2020. But he has dealt with various nagging injuries over the years, and he¡¯s most valuable to the Rays when his bat is in the lineup.
¡°Our thought process is pretty simple, that we want to do everything we can to make sure that Yandy is available as many games as possible,¡± manager Kevin Cash said. ¡°I'm not saying he's DHing every day and he's never going to play first, but ¡ the thought, it's shifted. Generally, he's been [at] first and then gets the occasional DH days.
¡°We put our heads together and thought maybe this is a chance to see Yandy for 150 games rather than 125. ¡ I think everybody would agree our lineup's better with him in it.¡±
While D¨ªaz acknowledged he¡¯s used to playing defense most days, the 33-year-old said he¡¯s comfortable with whatever role he¡¯s assigned and will keep a ¡°positive mindset¡± about his potential designated hitter duties.
It¡¯s worth noting that there is some financial incentive for D¨ªaz to stay healthy and rack up plate appearances. When the Rays picked up his $12 million club option for next season, they tacked on another option for 2027. That option will vest for $13 million in 2027 if he records at least 500 plate appearances in 2026, and it becomes a $10 million club option if he doesn¡¯t.
Some everyday position players find the move to DH to be difficult, as it throws off their routine and often leaves them with too much time to focus on hitting. D¨ªaz said his routine won¡¯t change, so he should be fine. And he wants to play as often as possible.
¡°I feel good. It doesn't matter where it is, if it is at first base or DHing,¡± he said through Rodriguez. ¡°My thing is just come here and play, and that's what I'm preparing for.¡±
D¨ªaz will still see some time at first base, and the rest of the work there figures to go to Aranda and, assuming he makes the team, infielder Curtis Mead. With Aranda getting a start at second base on Thursday, Mead -- now batting .543 with a 1.285 OPS this spring -- got the nod at first.
Cash said Mead has been ¡°pretty natural looking¡± at first, with good footwork around the bag and a feel for picking throws out of the dirt. If he cracks the club, Mead could also back up Junior Caminero at third and Brandon Lowe at second base while platooning with the left-handed-hitting Aranda at first.
Aranda was granted a fourth Minor League option year after dealing with the finger injury and an oblique strain last season, so the Rays don¡¯t technically have to carry him on their roster. But he essentially has nothing left to prove in Triple-A, and he hit .253/.329/.507 with five homers in 24 games down the stretch last September as a reminder of what he can do at the plate.
¡°Jonny did enough [to prove himself] last year for us when he came up in that last six weeks of the season where he was getting a lot of big hits, having great at-bats,¡± Cash said.