Injuries & Moves: X-rays clean on Yandy after HBP

Injuries & Moves: X-rays clean on Yandy after HBP

4:26 AM UTC

LATEST NEWS

April 26: 1B leaves game after being hit by pitch, X-rays clean
Díaz took a 99.3 mph fastball from Michael Kopech off his left pinkie finger in the eighth inning of the Rays’ 9-4 loss to the White Sox on Friday night. He immediately appeared to be in a lot of pain and exited the game.

But Tampa Bay’s All-Star leadoff hitter had X-ray imaging done at Guaranteed Rate Field, which came back clean. He said he would be available to play as soon as Saturday night.

“It hurt a little bit initially, especially with the cold out there,” Díaz said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “But I feel fine now.”

April 26: Placed LHP (mid-back tightness) on the 15-day injured list; recalled RHP Manuel Rodríguez from Triple-A Durham
The Rays have lost two of their top high-leverage bullpen arms this week, as Poche joined closer on the injured list before Friday’s series opener against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Manager Kevin Cash said Poche had an injection in his back, which had been bothering him for some time, and the club is optimistic he will have a relatively short stint on the injured list after taking a few days to rest.

Poche’s assignment was made retroactive to Wednesday, the day after he allowed two homers and coughed up a one-run lead in the eighth inning of the Rays’ 4-2 loss to the Tigers at Tropicana Field. He entered the season as Tampa Bay’s top left-handed reliever and recorded the club’s first save of the season at Coors Field on April 6. Poche has been scored upon in three of his 10 outings this season, posting a 6.75 ERA in 9 1/3 innings overall. His injury leaves , who has recorded two saves over the past week, as the only left-hander in the bullpen, and it will likely thrust Cleavinger and into higher-leverage roles.

Rodríguez, acquired from the Cubs prior to last year’s Trade Deadline, is joining the Rays for the first time. The hard-throwing right-hander, who impressed the staff with his stuff and strike-throwing in Spring Training, has not appeared in the Majors since late 2022. The 27-year-old had a 1.08 ERA with 13 strikeouts and only two walks in 8 1/3 innings over eight appearances for Durham. "Very much similar to what we saw in Spring Training," Cash said. "If that’s the version that we’re getting, he can help us big-time with those two guys being down.”

April 26: CF (kidney stones) returns to lineup after undergoing procedure
Siri has been dealing with kidney stones that forced him to sit out last Sunday's game vs. the Yankees and visit a New York hospital. He traveled home with the team and returned to the Rays' lineup on Monday night against the Tigers at Tropicana Field. Siri was off Tuesday but entered the game as a defensive replacement. He was again out of the lineup Wednesday night after undergoing a procedure to have the stones broken up.

But Siri was back in the lineup, and sporting newly dyed platinum hair, as the Rays began a three-game series against the White Sox on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. He expects he will be able to play without any discomfort, as the procedure broke up the obstruction.

April 26: INF (fractured right ring finger) begins rehab assignment
After playing a pair of extended spring games, Aranda joined Triple-A Durham on Friday for the start of his official Minor League rehab assignment. Aranda sustained a fractured right ring finger while fielding a ground ball during a Spring Training workout, had surgery on March 21 and had the pins removed from his finger on April 15. He progressed fairly quickly through the hitting progression, in part because he was able to stay active (outside of swinging a bat) during the initial portion of his recovery.

10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP (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. (Last updated: April 26)

OF Josh Lowe (right oblique strain)
Expected return: April 27
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. 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.

"He has swung the bat well. The at-bats have been good. He seems pretty positive about how he's feeling," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Regardless of the results that he's getting, we still have to keep in the back of our minds [that] he didn't have many at-bats in Spring Training." (Last updated: April 26)

RHP (right pectoral strain)
Expected return: First half of May
Bradley threw a three-inning simulated game on April 17 and pitched four innings (on 62 pitches) in an extended spring game on April 22. He is now slated to join Triple-A Durham for a Minor League rehab assignment, likely starting on April 28. Bradley must still go through the process of rebuilding his stamina and increasing his pitch count before he's ready to return.

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: April 26)

INF (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 was set to being a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham on April 26. (Last updated: April 26)

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)

RHP (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Possibly May
Baz threw two innings in an extended spring game on April 24. The right-hander will continue to build up his pitch count and workload with an eye on returning to the rotation. 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 24)

2B (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 (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 (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 (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 (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)

• More injury news