Austin

Shenton

There isn’t a ton of competition for at-bats at the cold corner in Seattle beyond Luke Raley and top prospect Tyler Locklear, so this is actually a pretty decent landing spot for Shenton after he was cut loose earlier this week by the Rays. The 26-year-old first baseman, who was originally a fifth-round pick by the Mariners in the 2019 MLB Draft, batted .214/.340/.405 with one homer in 50 plate appearances last year in the big leagues, but he blasted 20 homers in just 83 games at Triple-A Durham.

Shenton has been jettisoned from Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster to make room for lefties Ian Seymour and Joe Rock. The 26-year-old infielder got into 19 games last season for the Rays, batting .214/.340/.405 with one homer and three RBI in 50 plate appearances at the highest level. He slugged 20 homers in 83 contests at Triple-A Durham, so there might be another organization out there willing to give him an opportunity as a low-risk flyer.

The Rays needed the space on the roster for Richie Palacios, who is being activated off the IL. With the minor league season over, Shenton will head to the spring training complex to get more work in and try to push for a spot on the 2025 roster.

Palacios was placed on the IL on August 3rd with a sprained knee. He had been starting regularly against right-handed pitchers before getting hurt and was slashing .233/.350/.332 in 88 games with five home runs and 19 steals. In order to slide back into the lineup, he would need to push out Jonathan Aranda or Christopher Morel, which might be unlikely. Austin Shenton was sent down in a corresponding move.

Palacios has been out since Aug. 1 with a sprained right knee. He’s likely to come off the injured list for the final week of the season. Austin Shenton will probably lose his spot on the Rays once that happens.

With Alex Jackson designated for assignment, the Rays are calling up an infielder for a final bench spot and not a third catcher. The 26-year-old is hitting .189/.318/.378 in 26 games for Tampa Bay this year and should not be on fantasy radars.

The Rays didn’t subtract from their lineup at the deadline as much as it looked like they might, so Shenton winds up returning to Triple-A after just one day in the majors. The move makes room for the newly acquired Dylan Carlson.

Shenton is back up with the Rays as extra infield depth following a flurry of roster moves from the club at the trade deadline. He’s probably going to get an extended look over the final two months, but that doesn’t exactly mean he’ll be relevant for fantasy managers. It feels like only a matter of time before they finally recall top prospect Junior Caminero.

Shenton is probably not the infielder fantasy managers want to see called up, but that’s just the way the world works. The 26-year-old has hit well in Durham, and could see regular playing time — particularly if the Rays decide to move Yandy Diaz before the deadline.

With the Rays considering selling and both Isaac Paredes and Yandy Díaz likely to interest teams, it’s possible Shenton could get a long look in August and September. The 26-year-old, who plays mostly first and third, is hitting .266/.387/.489 for Durham.