1 Rays player making a last-minute surge for a roster spot

The roster has practically been decided by Kevin Cash and the Rays front office. However, that's not stopping this newly acquired outfielder from making a last-minute statement. In the 26-year-old's first 26 at-bats, he collected only five hits and two RBIs. It was looking like he would be a lock for the Triple-A Durham roster as other outfielders like Ryan Vilade and Jonny DeLuca have proved more this spring. His most recent game told a totally different story, but is it too late?

The Rays acquired Justyn-Henry Malloy in a "throw-away" trade for the Tigers as Tampa Bay only needed to provide cash for the young outfielder. The lack of regard for Malloy's talent was surprising as he drove in 21 Detroit runs a season ago. His minor league numbers leading to his arrival to the MLB last year were also respectable. In five seasons in the Braves and Tigers farm systems, the New York native produced an impressive .416 OBP with 61 home runs and 269 RBIs. The Rays clearly saw something worth building on from the former Tiger.

To begin this year's spring training, the 6'0 corner outfielder struggled offensively. He had some glimpses of defensive highlights, but the Rays will require some production on the offensive side from their outfielders after a lackluster performance from those positions in 2025.

During this offseason, the front office did a complete overhaul of the outfield as they let Josh Lowe, Jake Mangum, Kameron Misner, and Christopher Morel go via trades. To replace those starters, they added defensive wizard Cedric Mullins, Jake Fraley, Ryan Vilade, Jacob Melton, Justyn-Henry Malloy, and Victor Mesa Jr.

Malloy is a depth piece for the Rays that clearly had to prove his worth this spring before being handed a spot on the roster. On March 14th, the former 6th round pick came one step closer to doing just that. He went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in the Rays 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Twins. To make his performance even more impressive, Malloy's fourth inning double came off of Twins up-and-coming starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson and ultimately chased him from the contest. It will be interesting to see how he closes out this spring and if he is able to change the minds of the Rays front office.