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It’s been an injury-plagued, lost season for Lux, who has yet to make his Tampa Bay debut due to an avalanche of shoulder and hip issues. Williamson hit the injured list with a hamstring strain back in early August. They’re both going to require rehab assignments with Triple-A Durham, but should be ready in time for the Rays’ upcoming playoff run.

Lux needed an injection recently, so it’s likely that his shoulder is still bothering him. Lux hasn’t yet played in the majors in 2026 and had been hitting just .223/.387/.298 in 119 plate appearances during his rehab assignment to Triple-A Durham. It’s the second time this season Lux has been pulled off a rehab assignment.

Lux had been dealing with shuolder and hip injuries that sidelined him for essentially all of May and June. He returned to action at Triple-A on June 30th and played two games before sitting out for five days due to discomfort in both shoulders. Lux returned to action on Tuesday and had exit velocities of 100.6 mph, 99.2 mph, and 97.3 mph. However, he was limited to DH duties, and until he can play the field for an entire game, multiple days a week, he won’t be near a return to the Rays lineup.

Lux had a shoulder impingement back in April and then suffered a leg injury in May while recovering from the shoulder impingement, and then suffered another shoulder injury at the end of May while recovering from that leg injury. Fraley underwent sports hernia surgery in the middle of May. Both players have a shot of being back after the All-Star break, if all goes well.

Lux has been dealing with both shoulder and leg injuries and has yet to be able to play in 2026. The 28-year-old doesn’t have a timetable for a return, and his placement on the 60-day injured list opens a spot on the 40-man roster for Jon Heasley.

Lux is dealing with a new shoulder issue and will undergo imaging to determine the extent of the ailment. He suffered a leg injury while working his way back from a shoulder impingement last month while playing in a rehab contest at Triple-A Durham. He’s been snake-bitten by the injury bug this season and has yet to make his Tampa Bay debut. There is no timetable for his return.

Lux is hitting just .169/.329/.288 in 73 plate appearances in Triple-A with a 20/14 K/BB ratio. Lux has just a 20.5 percent hard-hit rate at Triple-A, so there doesn’t seem to be much to get excited about right now.

Lux, on the IL with a shoulder impingement, was finally showing signs of life today, doubling twice in the first game of a doubleheader. He had been 1-for-24 through seven games. The injury came in the second game tonight while he was running out a grounder.

Lux will open the regular season on the shelf after a late-spring shoulder issue kept him from getting enough game action to be ready for Opening Day. He’ll presumably head to Triple-A Durham for a brief rehab assignment before making his Rays debut at some point in April.

Lux had missed time this spring with a “cranky” shoulder but returned to the lineup on Sunday. Apparently, he didn’t recover from that game as well as the Rays would have hoped. While his injury means that Richie Palacios will make the Opening Day roster, it’s unclear if Palacios or Ben Williamson will start at second base with Lux out. Palacios is a left-handed hitter, which would favor him, but neither player needs to be added in fantasy leagues right now.

Lux played second today after getting scratched Saturday with shoulder soreness. He also hit third ahead of Junior Caminero again, just as he did Friday. We’re not sure we understand that call, especially with fellow lefty Jonathan Aranda set to hit second, but perhaps it’s not something that will linger into the regular season.

Rays manager Kevin Cash described Lux’s as a “cranky” while speaking to reporters on Saturday morning. It’ll be Ryan Vilade, who is a near-lock to make Tampa Bay’s season-opening roster, taking over at the keystone while he recovers. Lux will open the year as the club’s starting second baseman but also figures to spend some time in the outfield, if needed. There’s a chance he opens the season on the injured list if his shoulder isn’t feeling better in time for next week’s opener.

The Rays never got specific about Lux’s upper body issue, but he missed nearly three weeks of spring games, which wouldn’t seem to make for a great first impression. Lux appears to be penciled in as Rays’ second baseman against righties after hitting .269/.350/.374 in more of a utility role for the Reds last year.

The 28-year-old infielder has been working his way through a vague upper body issue. He’s going to take live at-bats on the back fields on Sunday and as long as everything goes well with that session, he’ll be cleared to play on Tuesday. Barring any setbacks, he’ll be at second base for Opening Day.

Lux had been hit with the vague “overall spring training soreness,” so we guess a slightly less vague “undisclosed upper body issue” is a general upgrade on us trying to understand where he’s at. This qualifies as a positive update for Lux, who still figures to be the team’s regular at second base assuming this hasn’t set him back too far to be ready for Opening Day.

Lux is apparently “fine,” but it’s never great to be so sore after just a few days of work. It’s likely nothing to worry about, and Lux should be the regular second baseman for the Rays in 2026; however, he has three straight seasons with at least 470 plate appearances and has not produced much fantasy value, so it’s hard to get overly excited.

The 28-year-old saw most of his action with the Reds in left field or as a designated hitter in 2025 while playing a bit at second base and third base. It sounds like he’ll step in as the Rays’ regular second baseman, filling the void left by Brandon Lowe. Neander also noted that he’s fully confident in what Lux can provide both at the plate and in the field. Even if he’s slated for full-time action, it’s difficult to envision Lux having much fantasy value in 2026.

The Rays nabbed Burke as part of the swap that sent Josh Lowe to the Angels on Friday, then they flipped the left-hander to the Reds to land Lux. The 28-year-old former top prospect hit .269/.350/.374 with just five homers, 53 RBI and one stolen base in 503 plate appearances during his lone season with the Reds. Expect his Rays to take full advantage of his versatility in 2026.

Lux is entering his final year before free agency. He hit .269/.350/.374 in 503 plate appearances while providing little defensive value in his first year in Cincinnati. It’d make sense for him to enter 2026 in a lesser role unless he finds his power stroke from the second half of 2024. The Reds are probably still open to trading him, too.

Lux led off the fourth inning with a double off of Quinn Priester and scored the Reds’ first run on an RBI knock off the bat of Spencer Steer. He then doubled to open the sixth inning and scored on Miguel Andujar’s RBI single. For the season, the 27-year-old is now slashing .269/.350/.375 with only five home runs, 53 RBI and one stolen base in 500 mostly empty plate appearances on the season.