Rays execute trade with White Sox for veteran outfielder after plague of injuries

The injuries in the Rays outfield this season have begun to pile up since Opening Day. Was using the term plague an exaggeration? Probably, but after suffering five ailments to outfielders in the span of only a month, you can understand why we went to those measures. Josh Lowe, Jonny DeLuca, Jake Mangum, and Richie Palacios (twice) have been placed on the injured list since the beginning of the season. Therefore, the Rays are draining their outfield depth in the minors and chose to seek out a veteran presence to reload their reserves.

The Rays acquired left-handed hitting outfielder Travis Jankowski in a deal with the White Sox. It hasn't been disclosed who was offered on the Rays' side, but regardless, this is a solid acquisition to build on some much-needed depth.

Out of all of the positions heading into this season, the Rays were definitely thinnest in the outfield. After losing four outfielders to injury already, that problem has just become more prevalent. Rookies Kameron Misner and Jake Mangum have done an incredible job filling in during this difficult stretch, but after losing Mangum to the IL with a groin strain, they knew that reinforcements would be necessary.

Jankowski has been an MLB outfielder going on 11 seasons now, so he isn't lacking experience at all. However, the 33-year old has only appeared in over 100 games four times in his lengthy career. He's better known as a back-up/pinch runner at the big league level.

Nevertheless, his skills are undeniable and the Rays are likely most excited about Jankowski's amazing display of speed and defense throughout his career. Two attributes that Tampa Bay has favored this season (and most of their franchise's history) are heavily utilized by the lanky center fielder.

In Travis Jankowski's best season, he played in 107 games for the Texas Rangers. The speedy outfielder slashed .263/.357/.332 with 30 RBIs. He's never been a power threat as he's only hit 11 home runs in his career, but he makes up for it with his stolen base potential.

In 2023, Jankowksi swiped 19 bases along with the 102 total steals he's accrued. Needless to say, these numbers bode well with the structure of the Rays current lineup as the former World Series champion will match up with the playing styles of Chandler Simpson and Jake Mangum.