Junior Caminero injures foot during Rays' rally but says he'll play in World Series Game 5

Junior Caminero's left-foot injury clouds what had been a breakout postseason for the Tampa Bay Rays' All-Star third baseman, introducing a layer of uncertainty into Game 5 lineup construction that DFS players need to monitor closely. Caminero said he expects to play, but his participation level—whether he's in the field the full nine innings, DHing, or available only for late-game situations—remains fluid heading into lock. For anyone building a fanduel dfs optimizer slate where Caminero has been a reliable offensive engine, this is a classic late-swap signal: his ceiling may compress if he's limited to pinch-hitting duty, and his floor becomes much stickier if he doesn't take the field at all.

Caminero's season line of 42 home runs, an .884 OPS, and 101 RBIs across 616 at-bats frames him as a legitimate power-play target in World Series DFS contests. V12's model assigns him roughly a 21% probability to go deep in Game 5, a meaningful contribution to any stack or GPP ceiling build. However, a foot injury—even one the player downplays—has a habit of sapping lower-body drive and bat speed in ways that don't always show up immediately in ownership data. If Caminero plays but the Rays' medical staff has limited his pre-game testing to light tossing, that's the kind of subtle leverage play that separates contrarian lineups from the chalk.

The ownership pressure will likely remain high on Caminero simply because his injury status is already in the public domain and he's signaled availability. Exposure management becomes the key: if you're fading him because of the foot concern, make sure your pivot at third base (or your Game 5 stack construction overall) doesn't leave you overexposed to Rays pitching or dependent on him sitting out. Conversely, if you're building through the Rays' offense and need Caminero's power to hit, confirm his pregame status one final time and verify his position eligibility hasn't shifted to DH-only before lock—that detail alone could affect your lineup's pace and game stack shape.