Few changes in Rays' projected 25-man roster

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- It has been an uneventful start to camp for the Rays, which is just the way the team wants it to stay. No roster moves have been made, and for the most part, the team has remained healthy through the first three weeks of camp. At the start of Spring Training, MLB.com tried to predict the 25 players who would be with the team on Opening Day. Now it’s time to revisit the initial picks:

Catcher (2): Mike Zunino, Michael Perez

What changed? Nothing. Zunino is establishing himself as a clubhouse favorite and will get most of the playing time behind the dish, while Perez showed enough last season to give him the edge over former first-round pick Nick Ciuffo.

First base (2): Yandy Díaz, Ji-Man Choi

What changed? With Matt Duffy nursing a hamstring injury, Diaz has played mostly third base during the spring. Because of that, Choi and Brandon Lowe have gotten plenty of reps at the bag. The Rays won’t have a set first baseman this season, as Diaz, Choi and Lowe will all get looks at the position. Oh, and Nate Lowe, the team’s No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, appears to be on his way.

Second base (3): Joey Wendle, Daniel Robertson, Brandon Lowe

What changed? Nothing has changed here. Wendle and Robertson will get a lot of work at second base, but they’ll also see time at third base and shortstop. As for Lowe, he’ll get some playing time at second base, left field and first base. The Rays have a really versatile roster, but this group leads the way in that department.

Shortstop (1): Willy Adames

What changed? Adames finished with a .329/.406/.480 slash line once the Rays parted ways with shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria. The Rays don’t expect that production for an entire season, but it’ll be Adames’ show at shortstop this season.

Third base (1): Matt Duffy

What changed? Duffy has been limited this spring due to a hamstring injury. He’s expected to get back on the field within the next week. If the injury lingers, the Rays could elect to go with another pitcher while Duffy recovers.

Outfield (4) Tommy Pham, Kevin Kiermaier, Austin Meadows, Avisaíl García

What changed? Nothing. Pham will be the starting left fielder, Kiermaier will patrol center field and Meadows is establishing himself as a key part of the lineup with a strong spring. Garcia will get playing time in right field when the matchups are right, but most of his at-bats will likely come from the DH spot.

Starting Pitchers (3): Blake Snell, Charlie Morton, Tyler Glasnow

What changed? We know that the Rays' plan is to have three starting pitchers and two bullpen days. What we don’t know is the order. We should find that out soon.

Relief Pitchers (9): Ryan Yarbrough, Yonny Chirinos, Wilmer Font, Jose Alvarado, Chaz Roe, Diego Castillo, Jake Faria, Emilio Pagán, Ryne Stanek

What changed? These decisions will be the ones to watch as the Rays head into the second half of Spring Training. The one change is that in this projection, Faria would be on the Opening Day roster instead of Adam Kolarek. Colin Poche, Hunter Wood, Jalen Beeks and Oliver Drake could be options, but Faria has impressed this spring, holding hitters to a .143 batting average. It’ll all come down to the team's preference.

CATCHERS
Mike Zunino
Michael Perez

INFIELDERS
Ji-Man Choi
Yandy Diaz
Matt Duffy
Daniel Robertson
Willy Adames
Joey Wendle
Brandon Lowe

OUTFIELDERS
Austin Meadows
Tommy Pham
Kevin Kiermaier
Avisail Garcia

STARTING PITCHERS
Blake Snell
Charlie Morton
Tyler Glasnow

RELIEF PITCHERS
Ryan Yarbrough
Yonny Chirinos
Jose Alvarado
Diego Castillo
Chaz Roe
Jake Faria
Emilio Pagan
Ryne Stanek
Wilmer Font