I think you are worrying about a non-issue as my 2013 PA-14 WITH the larger rudder has been deployed and retracted several hundred times over the past three years.
Here is a photo I just made to show the non-wear, of the same location in your PA. You can barely see a "wear line" in the plastic.
Assuming your PA was new, if the dealer had not unwrapped it, the rudder would have most likely have been held up into the hull by the wrapping material too.
I always release the rudder tension and let it hang down while in storage, on my trailer.
Enjoy your new ride!