The Tampa Bay Rays will need to mix and match at shortstop if recently acquired Matt Duffy is shut down because of soreness stemming from a left Achilles injury.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports Duffy will need season-ending surgery with the hope that he will be ready for spring training in 2017. Acquired from the Giants in the deadline deal for Matt Moore, Duffy has hit .258/.310/.357 in a combined 333 at-bats for San Francisco and Tampa Bay.
The injury should open another opportunity at shortstop for Brad Miller (.256 BA), who started there on Opening Day but was moved to first base when the deal for Duffy went down. Miller started at shortstop in Monday’s loss to Baltimore.
Current minor leaguers Tim Beckham and Taylor Motter are other options, but Topkin reports they “have fallen enough out of favor” in the organization.
Nick Franklin also could share time with Miller the rest of the way and compete for a utility job in 2017. Topkin also suggests Alexei Ramirez, who was recently released by the Padres, as an option if the Rays look outside the organization.
