Jonny DeLuca To Miss Six To Eight Weeks With Hamstring Strain

Jonny DeLuca was placed on the ten-day injured list with a right hamstring strain and is expected to miss about six to eight weeks. DeLuca has contributed mainly through speed and defense, posting a .269/.298/.412 batting line with a 98 wRC+ and limited power. His offense has been boosted by a .330 batting average on balls in play, while his walk rate is only 4%. Against left-handed pitching, he has produced a .315/.500/.815 line and 126 wRC+. He ranks in the 95th percentile in sprint speed, has stolen six bases, and has recorded three Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average. Tampa Bay will need other outfielders to cover the absence, with additional injury concerns affecting the group’s depth.

"The Rays placed outfielder Jonny DeLuca on the ten-day injured list with a right hamstring strain yesterday. He's going to miss far more than ten days, however. Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, DeLuca's strain is significant enough that he'll miss about six to eight weeks."

"DeLuca, 27, has been in Tampa's outfield mix all year. His contributions have mostly been as a speed-and-defense guy. His .269/.298/.412 batting line isn't bad, translating to a 98 wRC+ that puts him just below league average. However, he only has two home runs and a tiny 4% walk rate. His offense has been swelled by a fortunate .330 batting average on balls in play."

"Though he may not be a thumper in the box on the whole, he has been a useful player in other ways. He has been better with the platoon advantage, as the righty swinger has a .315/.500/.815 line and 126 wRC+ against southpaws. He is one of the fastest guys in the league, with Statcast ranking his sprint speed in the 95th percentile of qualified big leaguers. He has stolen six bases and been credited with three Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average on the year."

"The Rays will now have to proceed without DeLuca's contributions into July. So far, the club has used only five outfielders this year, coming into today's action. Beyond DeLuca, they have had Cedric Mullins, Chandler Simpson, Jake Fraley and Ryan Vilade in the mix. Last week, it was reported that Fraley would require a hernia procedure and would also have a return timeline of about six to eight weeks."

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