Ben Williamson’s night ended in the ninth inning Wednesday, and the Rays are bracing for a stint on the injured list.
The infielder left Tampa Bay’s 4-0 win over the Rockies at Coors Field after hurting his right hamstring while running to first base on a chopper to Colorado second baseman Edouard Julien. Williamson grounded out on the play, then made his way back to the dugout in clear discomfort before needing help down the stairs.
Ryan Vilade replaced him at second base to close out the game.
Afterward, manager Kevin Cash didn’t sound optimistic about the outlook.
“Grabbed his hammy pretty good,” Cash said afterward. “We’ll get him checked out tomorrow, for sure, and go from there.”
Williamson is set to undergo imaging that should provide a clearer diagnosis before the Rays open their series in Seattle on Friday night, though a move to the injured list appears likely.
Acquired from the Mariners in a three-team trade over the offseason, Williamson has been an important piece of Tampa Bay’s infield rotation this year. He has mostly handled second base next to Richie Palacios, while also logging time at shortstop and third base.
In 84 games, Williamson is hitting .247/.309/.332 with three homers and 26 RBIs.
If Williamson does miss time, the Rays have Palacios and Vilade as their other options at second base. They also have several players at Triple-A Durham who could be called upon, including Carson Williams, Oliver Dunn and non-roster veteran Nick Madrigal.
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