Taylor Walls DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls is not in the lineup for the Rays' Saturday night matchup against right-hander Jacob deGrom and the Rangers. Walls has struggled at the plate this season, going just 2-for-17 (.118) with a stolen base. The 28-year-old switch-hitter started six of the team's seven games this season, entering the other game as a defensive replacement. He'll get Saturday off while Jose Caballero draws the start in his spot. After swiping 44 bags last year, Caballero is a viable streamer or DFS value play if you're chasing stolen bases this Saturday.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls (quadriceps) is dealing with a minor quad injury. The infielder exited Saturday's contest early due to this injury. However, the team noted that this injury is not considered serious and expects Walls to return to the lineup later this week. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he faces a setback. Walls is expected to have a more significant role in the lineup over the first two months with Ha-Seong Kim (shoulder) sidelined. He will likely compete alongside Jose Caballero for starting opportunities. Last summer, the 28-year-old appeared in 84 contests for Tampa Bay and posted a .183/.282/.248 line. He swiped 16 bags and drew walks at an elite 12.3 percent rate. However, he generated a weak .184 xBA. Fantasy managers should only target Walls when looking for speed in deeper AL-only formats.

The Tampa Bay Rays and infielder Taylor Walls avoided salary arbitration on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year, $1.35 million deal. The contract includes a $2.45 million option for the 2026 season with a $50,000 buyout. The 28-year-old middle infield will return to Tampa this year to provide infield insurance for the Rays. His glove is the most attractive thing about him, leaving very little fantasy upside for those in deep AL-only leagues in 2025. The former third-round selection in 2017 out of Florida State hit just .183/.282/.248 with a career-worst .529 OPS, one home run, 14 RBI, 16 stolen bases and 27 runs scored in 84 games in his fourth major-league season in 2024. In his four big-league campaigns, Walls has slashed a mere .188/.288/.293 with 18 home runs, 98 RBI and 52 stolen bases in 379 career games. If he's forced into regular playing time, the Rays will be in trouble.