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May 8: Rays place RHP Ryan Pepiot (lower left leg contusion) on the 15-day IL and activate RHP Taj Bradley from the 15-day IL
Pepiot departed Sunday’s series finale against the Mets after taking a 107.5 mph comebacker off his left leg. The 26-year-old threw a couple of warmup pitches before manager Kevin Cash decided to pull him from the game. X-rays and a CT scan showed no fracture, so Pepiot hoped to avoid the injured list. But follow-up imaging showed there was more of a bruise on his bone than anticipated, and the Rays decided to play it safe, with his IL stint made retroactive to Monday.

Pepiot was sore and bruised but feeling better as he played catch Monday afternoon at Tropicana Field, but he reported to the ballpark on Tuesday feeling "a little sorer than what we were anticipating," Cash said. Pepiot played catch again Wednesday, felt better and said multiple times he expects he will be ready when he's eligible to return.

Sidelined since Spring Training by a right pectoral strain, Bradley will make his season debut Friday night against the Yankees at Tropicana Field. The Rays had some flexibility in their rotation with Bradley's return, allowing them to put Pepiot on the IL while maintaining a fully stocked starting staff with Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale, Zack Littell, Tyler Alexander and Bradley. More >>

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Pete Fairbanks (nerve-related issue)
Expected return: Mid-May
Fairbanks began a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on May 7, working around two hits to pitch one scoreless inning. He is set for another rehab appearance on May 9.

After a stomach issue forced Fairbanks to remain at the Rays' hotel in New York on April 19, he rejoined the team at Yankee Stadium on April 20 and felt "a little bit of a zinger" in his hand while playing catch before the game, manager Kevin Cash said. Fairbanks was unavailable for the rest of the series. The club placed him on the IL on April 22, retroactive to April 19, due to an unspecified "nerve-related issue."

Fairbanks said a series of MRIs revealed no structural damage to his arm. Cash said on April 26 that all Fairbanks' tests have come back clean. The right-hander said this injury is unrelated to previous flareups of Raynaud’s syndrome. (Last updated: May 8)

RHP Ryan Pepiot (lower left leg contusion)
Expected return: Late May
Pepiot departed the Rays' series finale against the Mets on May 5 after taking a 107.5 mph comebacker off his left leg. The 26-year-old threw a couple of warmup pitches before manager Kevin Cash decided to pull him from the game. X-rays and a CT scan showed no fracture, so Pepiot hoped to avoid the injured list. But follow-up imaging showed there was more of a bruise on his bone than anticipated, and the Rays decided to play it safe, with his IL stint made retroactive to May 6, rather than risk him further injuring his leg by planting down on it after every pitch in his next start. Pepiot was already feeling better as he played catch on May 8, reinforcing his confidence that he'll be ready to return when he's eligible to come off the IL. (Last updated: May 8)

RHP Shane Baz (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Possibly May
Baz began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on May 4. He allowed three runs on three hits and one walk over three innings against Gwinnett. He walked one and didn't have any strikeouts. Twenty-two of Baz's 39 pitches went for strikes. He threw 25 four-seam fastballs and topped out at 97.1 mph. He is set for another Triple-A start on May 10.

Baz missed the 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Sept. 28, 2022. But the young right-hander will be limited this season, as he has never carried a significant workload and did not pitch at all last season. He dealt with two minor oblique setbacks during his comeback, with the first coming when he picked up a weight in the weight room in early March. He essentially began his buildup after Spring Training ended. He was placed on the 15-day IL on March 25. (Last updated: May 8)

2B Brandon Lowe (right oblique strain)
Expected return: Mid-May
Lowe began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on May 7, going 1-for-2 with a double and a walk while playing five innings at second base. He will continue to build up his workload and get at-bats until he feels comfortable enough to return to the Majors.

Lowe was pulled early from the Rays’ April 3 game against the Rangers due to left side tightness and underwent a precautionary MRI. But that scan revealed no issues, and Lowe returned to the field for all three of Tampa Bay’s games at Coors Field. He didn’t start April 8-9 against the Angels, which was expected against a pair of left-handed pitchers. Lowe was preparing for a possible pinch-hit appearance on April 9, but he instead stayed on the bench after something flared up in his right oblique. An MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain, and he was placed on the injured list on April 12, retroactive to April 9. (Last updated: May 7)

INF Jonathan Aranda (fractured right ring finger)
Expected return: Likely May
After an 0-for-19 start to his rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham, Aranda has gone 6-for-12 with four walks in his past three games. Manager Kevin Cash said on May 3 that the team wants to make sure Aranda is "timed up at the plate as much as possible" before ending his assignment.

Aranda fractured his right ring finger while fielding a ground ball during a workout on March 19, which led to surgery to insert a pin into the finger on March 21. It was an unfortunate injury at a tough time for Aranda, who had put together an impressive Spring Training and seemed to be on his way to a breakthrough season for the Rays. His IL stint began on March 25. Aranda had the pins removed from his finger on April 15. (Last updated: May 7)

RHP Jacob Waguespack (right rotator cuff inflammation*)*
Expected return: TBD
Waguespack sustained a right shoulder injury during his last outing for Triple-A Durham that isn't expected to require a significant stint on the shelf. Rather than leave Waguespack on the Minor League injured list, the Rays recalled him and put him on the 15-day IL on May 6. They made the move mostly to guard against a setback; if Waguespack were to suffer a setback that would require a transfer to the 60-day IL, thus clearing a spot on the 40-man roster, his time on the Minor League IL would not count toward that stint. This way, if Waguespack is eventually placed on the 60-day IL, he will be eligible to return after serving the minimum 60 days. (Last updated: May 6)

LHP Colin Poche (mid-back tightness)
Expected return: Likely mid-May
Poche threw on flat ground at Tropicana Field on May 5 and is scheduled to have a bullpen session on May 6. He went on the injured list on April 26, retroactive to April 24, due to a mid-back issue that had been preventing him from feeling fully comfortable on the mound. The left-hander received an injection in his back, which came before a few days of rest. (Last updated: May 5)

RHP Chris Devenski (right knee tendinitis)
Expected return: TBD
Devenski is playing catch and will progress based on how he feels. Manager Kevin Cash said on May 3 that Devenski could throw a bullpen session soon "if the knee calms down." He was placed on the injured list on April 29, with his assignment made retroactive to April 26, after aggravating a lingering knee injury while playing catch in Chicago during the Rays' series against the White Sox. The right-hander said he was optimistic he won't miss much time. An MRI on April 30 revealed what manager Kevin Cash called "pretty strong patella tendinitis." (Last updated: May 3)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

LHP Jeffrey Springs (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Likely July/August
Springs is scheduled to throw in an extended spring game on May 20 after throwing a live batting practice session on May 9. He underwent successful Tommy John surgery on April 24, 2023, and assuming his rehab continues to go well, he could be in line to rejoin the Rays’ rotation by July or August, president of baseball operations Erik Neander said prior to the season. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 15. (Last updated: May 8)

RHP Drew Rasmussen (right flexor strain)
Expected return: Late 2024
Rasmussen went on the IL a day after tossing seven scoreless innings on May 11, 2023, in the Rays' 8-2 victory at Yankee Stadium. Manager Kevin Cash announced on July 8 that Rasmussen was slated to undergo a season-ending hybrid internal brace procedure, which he underwent on July 24. Rasmussen, who previously had two Tommy John surgeries, is doing well in his rehab and is scheduled to throw in an extended spring game around May 20. President of baseball operations Erik Neander said prior to the season that Rasmussen could return to the big league staff in the final months of the year. He was placed on the 60-day IL on Feb. 20. (Last updated: May 3)

LHP Shane McClanahan (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Likely 2025
McClanahan has ramped up to throwing from 90 feet. Manager Kevin Cash said on May 3 that McClanahan is "progressing well," although he is still in the early stages of his rehab. The left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery on Aug. 21, his second time having the procedure. He is expected to miss the entire season, although the two-year contract he signed with the Rays in January to avoid arbitration included escalators for his 2025 to account for the possibility of a late-season return in ’24, if his rehab allows for it. He was officially placed on the 60-day IL on Feb. 14, before the Rays' first Spring Training workout. (Last updated: May 3)

SS Taylor Walls (right hip surgery)
Expected return: TBD
Walls was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 20. There is no clear timeframe for the infielder's return, as manager Kevin Cash said on April 22 that Walls is "still feeling a little bit of hip inflammation." Walls is expected to be sidelined from baseball activities for 10-14 days, instead focusing on strengthening his hip before getting back into on-field work.

Cash said the team received a "very good report" from Walls' visit with Dr. J.W. Thomas Byrd in Nashville, Tenn., on April 1. Given the amount of time Walls has missed, it seems likely he will have to essentially recreate a progression similar to Spring Training whenever he returns to game action.

Walls, whose injured list stint began March 25, underwent surgery on Oct. 27 to repair a labral tear and relieve discomfort from an impingement in his right hip. He said on Feb. 13 he had been dealing with a “noticeable hip impingement” for more than a year, and it reached the point in the playoffs where he could barely swing the bat. (Last updated: April 22)

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