Rays prospect has been placed on the minor league injured list due to a quad strain. Tampa Bay manager says its a Grade 2 strain and that the infielder is likely to mi s four to six weeks. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times the on X. Coming into the season, it was easy to imagine Caminero playing a significant role for the Rays. He has been launching himself up prospect lists in recent years and even reached the majors last season. He didnt hit much in his first 36 major league plate appearances last year but he was barely 20 years old when called up late in the season. The fact that he was even up in the majors at such a young age speaks to his talent and his performance. He hit .324/.384/.591 in the minors last year between High-A and Double-A, leading to a combined 156 wRC+ and a leap over the Triple-A level. As 2024 kicked off, he was considered a consensus top five prospect in the sport. had him at #2, at #3 and at #4, with putting him in the #5 spot. Unfortunately, injuries have made 2024 a mostly lost season for Caminero so far. The Rays planned for him to start the year in the minors, optioning him fairly early in Spring Training, the second week of March. He landed on the Ryan Gusto Jersey minor league injured list in early April due to a quad strain and is now back in the same position yet again. Around his injured list stints, he has appeared in 34 Triple-A games and stepped to the plate 153 times. His .261/.333/.478 batting line translates to a 106 wRC+, indicating hes been above average but not outrageously so. Perhaps thats due to the injury interruptions with better results to be expected with a longer stretch of health. That will now have to wait, likely into July, considering the time frame provided by Cash. For the team, that will leave them with le s infield depth for the next few weeks. Caminero has played all four infield spots in his minor league career but has mostly been at Triple-A this season, perhaps suggesting thats where the Rays view his future home. is currently the regular at the hot corner and is playing well, though he is capable of moving elsewhere at some point down the line if Caminero forces his way into the big leagues. and are getting most of the playing time at second and first base, respectively, but each is set to make an eight-figure salary in the next two seasons. Given the Rays penchant for trading players when they reach that position, it wouldnt be a surprise to see a scenario wherein Caminero comes up and takes over third base, moving Paredes to the other side of the diamond and thus bumping another player into the designated hitter slot and later onto the trading block. All of that will remain theoretical for now, particularly with Caminero on the shelf. For the player, its undoubtedly a frustrating situation, as hes mi sing plenty of time in a key development season. Since this is all happening in the minor leagues, its also preventing him from moving his service clock forward. Caminero was able to get ten service days during his brief debut last year. His early-season injury already prevented him from getting to the one-year mark here in 2024, meaning he cant reach free agency until after 2030 at the earliest. A call-up in the first half could have put him on track for Super Two status after 2026, but thats likely out the window now with this further injury. Joe Morgan Jersey