The Rays announced that they have placed outfielder Jonny DeLuca on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 7th, with a left hamstring strain. They have selected fellow outfielder Tristan Peters to take his active roster spot. To open a 40-man spot for Peters, right-hander Connor Seabold has been designated for assignment. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported on the moves prior to the official announcement.
Peters, 25, gets called up to the big leagues for the first time. The Brewers selected him in the seventh round of the 2021 draft. He was sent to the Giants in the 2022 trade which sent Trevor Rosenthal to Milwaukee. A few months later, he was flipped to the Rays in the deal which sent Brett Wisely to the Giants.
Since joining the Rays, Peters’ offense has been up and down. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A, he has a combined .264/.358/.425 line since the start of 2023. His 11.8% walk rate and 17.5% strikeout rate are both decent figures. However, he has modest power. His career high for home runs in a season is 12, set last year. He was on pace to get past that, having hit 11 so far in Triple-A this season. His 2025 slash line is .282/.370/.453, good for a 117 wRC+.
He doesn’t show up on lists of the top prospects in the system but he seems to be a solidly well-rounded player. His strikeout and walk rates are better than par. He doesn’t hit a ton of home runs but has notched a few. He generally gets to double digits in terms of stolen bases as well, having swiped 11 bags this year. He has also played all three outfield spots. He’ll jump into the club’s outfield mix, replacing DeLuca. Since this is his first time coming up to the show, he has a full slate of options and can be easily sent back down in the future.
Seabold, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Rays in the offseason. He was selected to the big league roster in May but he has largely been on optional assignment since then. He has only appeared in three games of the Rays, having tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven.
His work in the minors hasn’t been strong this year. He has been in a swing role, having made ten starts and six relief appearances. In his 61 innings, he has a 6.49 ERA, 21% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate.
Seabold now heads into DFA limbo. Since the trade deadline has passed, he’ll be placed on waivers soon, if he hasn’t already. It’s been a few years since he looked good in affiliated ball but he had a good year in Korea in 2024. He tossed 160 innings for the Samsung Lions with a 3.43 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
