Junior Caminero DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (back) returned to the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon. Caminero was placed in the three-hole and covered the hot corner. The budding star exited Thursday's contest early due to back tightness but was cleared to return just days after the injury. This suggests the injury was not serious and the team held him out of action out of precaution. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he faces a setback. Last season, the 21-year-old logged a career-high 43 games in the majors. He held a .248/.299/.424 slash line with nine doubles and six long balls. In 53 games at Triple-A, Caminero went deep 13 times and held a .276/.331/.498 slash line. He is expected to be the team's everyday third baseman in the regular season.

Updating a previous report, Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said third baseman Junior Caminero (back) had "just a little tight back" and is "probably very day-to-day" after he was pulled early from Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Cash also added that the team doesn't expect Caminero "to miss too much time." Fantasy managers that already invested in the 21-year-old as a prime breakout candidate in 2025 can breathe a sigh of relief. Barring a setback with his back, Caminero should be fine for Opening Day later this month. Entering Thursday's game, the Dominican infielder has gone 4-for-17 (.235) with three home runs, a triple, eight RBI and four runs scored in six spring training games. He's fully expected to be Tampa's starting third baseman all year and has massive power upside.

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (back) left Thursday's Grapefruit League contest against the Philadelphia Phillies with what the team is calling lower-back tightness, per the Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin. Before being pulled, Caminero struck out in both of his plate appearances. Although the Rays may just be being extra cautious with one of their best young players in spring training, fantasy managers everywhere are holding their breathe that one of the most popular breakout players for 2025 will be alright. The 21-year-old is ranked as the No. 7 fantasy third baseman this year despite having played in only 50 major-league games for the Rays the last two seasons. Caminero won't be immune to more growing pains this year, but the upside is undeniable for his raw power in his first full season in the big leagues. Check back for an update on the severity of Caminero's back injury soon.