Mead makes Rays' Opening Day roster, Jiménez to start at Triple-A

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash announced Friday that infielder Curtis Mead made the club's Opening Day roster, according to Rays reporter Ryan Bass.

Cash also announced veteran designated hitter/outfielder Eloy Jiménez will start the season with Triple-A Durham.

"He is going to go to Durham," Cash said. "Couldn't be more pleased with the way Eloy carried himself, and the bat started to come to life here a little bit later, which we were confident that it would."

Mead put himself in position to make the roster amid a tremendous spring training at the plate. The 24-year-old is hitting an incredible .543 with 19 hits in 35 at-bats over 13 spring games. Mead is capable of playing first, second, and third base, giving Cash options and avenues to finding a place for him in the lineup.

"I think if you look at everybody that was coming in on the roster, you got to really appreciate what Curtis Mead has done, so it made some difficult decisions," Cash said. "But for Eloy to go down there, continue the progress and the work that he put in this offseason, for our Durham club, I mean, he could be huge for us at any point during the season."

The Rays signed Jiménez to a minor-league contract in December. The 28-year-old struggled at the plate with the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles in 2024, finishing with a .626 OPS, six home runs, and 23 RBIs in 98 games.