According to Joe Smith from the Tampa Bay Times, Sam Fuld’s wrist injury is more serious than originally thought. From the Tampa Bay Times:
#Rays’ Fuld to have wrist surgery on Tuesday, expected to be out 4-5 months
— Joe Smith (@TBTimesRays2) April 2, 2012
This is disappointing news for the Rays, although not terribly unexpected. Once news broke that Fuld was getting a second opinion on his wrist injury, it seemed likely that he would need to miss a substantial amount of time. Losing Fuld will give the Rays a weaker bench — especially defensively, as Fuld is one of the best defensive replacements in the game — but the good news is that he’s just a bench player.
It’s unclear exactly how the Rays will replace Fuld, as their bench hasn’t been finalized yet. With Fuld expected to miss a substantial amount of time, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brandon Guyer makes the Rays to start the season. He’s a step up from Salazar, and he could still be demoted when B.J. Upton comes back from his injury.
If the Rays don’t want to use Guyer as a bench outfielder this season, though, they may need to look elsewhere for some extra depth. Their in-house options aren’t exactly great, and their bench is thin enough as it is.
For more on the Tampa Bay Rays, drop by SB Nation’s blog DRaysBay. For more on the upcoming MLB season, check out SB Nation’s YouTube Channel: