Injuries & Moves: J. Lowe to resume rehab stint; 1B Smith released
LATEST NEWS
May 1: Minor League 1B Dominic Smith released
Smith signed a Minor League contract with the Rays on April 1 and reported to Triple-A Durham, where he hit .263/.337/.375 with 26 strikeouts in 21 games. He triggered an opt-out in his deal on Wednesday to pursue a Major League opportunity with another club.
May 1: CF Jose Siri issued three-game suspension, undisclosed fine
A day after being in the middle of the Rays' benches-clearing fracas with the Brewers, Siri was out of the lineup while being treated for a bruised left leg resulting from when he was hit by the Freddy Peralta pitch that led to Peralta's controversial ejection on Tuesday night.
Manager Kevin Cash said Siri was sore but "fully available" on Wednesday, although that turned out to not be the case when MLB issued the center fielder a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for his role in the benches-clearing incident. Siri appealed his suspension to have it reduced.
Additionally, third baseman Isaac Paredes was out of the lineup because his body and arm are "barking a little bit," Cash said. He is expected to be back Friday after Thursday's off-day.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
OF Josh Lowe (right oblique strain, right hamstring tightness)
Expected return: Possibly early May
Lowe joined the Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field before their April 26 series opener against the White Sox, and he was expected to be activated as soon as April 27 for his season debut. But Lowe was not reinstated as planned due to a new injury: tightness in his right hamstring. The outfielder had an MRI on April 29, which manager Kevin Cash said came back "pretty good." He was set to resume his rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on May 2, and how he feels will determine when he returns to the Rays.
Lowe was shut down for six days on Feb. 29 with the idea that he likely would not play for 10-15 days after being irritated by left hip inflammation. Just as he was nearing a return to game action, Lowe tweaked his right oblique on March 15. An MRI on March 16 revealed a Grade 1 strain. (Last updated: May 1)
RHP Chris Devenski (right knee tendinitis)
Expected return: TBD
Devenski 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," which will require a few days of treatment but shouldn't force him to stop throwing. That means Devenski could return after the minimum stint or shortly thereafter. (Last updated: May 1)
RHP Taj Bradley (right pectoral strain)
Expected return: First half of May
Bradley's first rehab start with Triple-A Durham could not have gone much better -- he pitched five no-hit innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on April 28, striking out seven, walking one and throwing 42 of 65 pitches for strikes. Manager Kevin Cash said the report on Bradley's outing was "pretty outstanding" and "really encouraging." Bradley is set for at least one more rehab start in Triple-A the weekend of May 3.
Bradley was set to start against the Orioles on March 12 in Sarasota, Fla., when he felt tightness in his pectoral muscle while warming up in the bullpen. He underwent an MRI that confirmed a right pec strain. If the recovery and throwing progression take about six weeks as expected, he could return in the first half of May. He was placed on the 15-day IL on March 26, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: May 1)
RHP Shane Baz (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Possibly May
Baz threw two innings in an extended spring game on April 24 and pitched in another extended spring game on April 29. His next outing will come on a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham the weekend of May 4-5 as he continues to build up his pitch count. Baz 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.
Baz, who missed the 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on Sept. 28, 2022, completed his rehab late last year. 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. Baz essentially began his buildup after Spring Training ended. He was placed on the 15-day IL on March 26, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: April 29)
LHP Colin Poche (mid-back tightness)
Expected return: Likely mid-May
Poche 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. The Rays don't expect him to spend much more than the minimum stint on the IL. (Last updated: April 29)
RHP Pete Fairbanks (nerve-related issue)
Expected return: TBD
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, but as of April 23 he was still awaiting more tests to further evaluate his condition. Cash said on April 26 that all Fairbanks' tests have come back clean, which would seem to be a good sign. The right-hander said this injury is unrelated to previous flareups of Raynaud’s syndrome, and the uncertainty makes it difficult to predict when he could return to the mound. As of April 28, Fairbanks was able to play catch, and he was scheduled to see a specialist to learn more about what's bothering him. (Last updated: April 28)
INF Jonathan Aranda (fractured right ring finger)
Expected return: Likely May
Aranda sustained a fractured 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. He played in an extended spring game on April 23 and began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on April 26, starting at second base. (Last updated: April 27)
OF Jonny DeLuca (fractured right hand)
Expected return: May
DeLuca began a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on April 25, when he went 0-for-4 and played the whole game in right field. He missed roughly six weeks after being struck on the right hand by a 93.1 mph sinker from Boston's Garrett Whitlock while trying to check his swing in the third inning of the Dominican Republic Series finale at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal.
He was sent to a local hospital for X-rays, which confirmed a break in his right hand, close to his wrist. He was officially placed on the 10-day IL on March 27, retroactive to March 25. (Last updated: April 25)
2B Brandon Lowe (right oblique strain)
Expected return: Likely May
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. He was preparing for a possible pinch-hit appearance on April 9, however, when 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. The Rays' initial expectation was that he wouldn't be sidelined as long as others who have dealt with more severe oblique strains. He is swinging and taking ground balls but isn't yet close to a return. (Last updated: April 22)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
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)
LHP Jeffrey Springs (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Likely July/August
Springs underwent successful Tommy John surgery on April 24, 2023. 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. He was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 15 to make room for righty Jacob Waguespack on the 40-man roster. (Last updated: March 15)
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 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 could return to the big league staff in the final months of the season, president of baseball operations Erik Neander said. He was placed on the 60-day IL on Feb. 20. (Last updated: Feb. 20)
LHP Shane McClanahan (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Likely 2025
McClanahan 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: Feb. 14)