ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays on Saturday placed right-hander Drew Rasmussen on the family medical emergency list, giving him another day to be with his family after the birth of their second child. He remains on track to start Sunday’s series finale against the Yankees at Tropicana Field.
Rasmussen had been scheduled to pitch Tuesday night against the Cubs, but his wife, Stevie, went into labor and gave birth to a daughter. The Rays placed Rasmussen on the paternity list on Wednesday but had to remove him from that list on Saturday, as it can be used for only up to three days.
Shane McClanahan had been scheduled to pitch Sunday’s finale, but he will be pushed back to start Tuesday’s series opener against the White Sox in Chicago.
The Rays’ plans after that also took a turn on Saturday, as they placed starter Joe Boyle on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Friday) with a right elbow strain and recalled right-hander Jesse Scholtens from Triple-A Durham.
After pitching Wednesday night in the Rays’ 6-2 loss to the Cubs, Boyle said he woke up on Thursday’s off-day feeling like his elbow was “kind of banged up.” He immediately reached out to the Rays’ athletic training staff, which arranged for him to undergo imaging.
Manager Kevin Cash was optimistic that the Rays caught the soreness early enough to avoid a more serious injury, calling Boyle’s placement on the IL a “cautionary” move. The right-hander will be shut down from throwing for about a week.
“Joe has been on a good run. I think he's gaining confidence with every outing,” Cash said. “He's a big, big part of our season, so [we] want to make sure we do right by him and try to freshen him up.”
Boyle said Saturday the imaging revealed no structural damage and only inflammation in his elbow, which he considered “encouraging” news.
“I'm not too worried about it. I don't think that does anybody any good, to be worried,” Boyle said. “It's just kind of part of the game. It's an extreme game, and there's always a risk of injury.
“I feel like part of me feels like I'm letting the team down, but I guess you really can't control injuries when they happen sometimes. It's just part of the game. And it does suck, too, because I feel like I was in a good spot with where I was on the mound.”
Scholtens pitched the rest of Wednesday’s game in relief of Boyle, breezing through 4 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out four. The Rays optioned him to Triple-A on Thursday, but he didn’t venture far before learning he’d be needed again.
“I was just hanging out,” Scholtens said, smiling.
Scholtens is expected to take Boyle’s spot in the rotation, but he won’t necessarily start in Chicago on Wednesday. The Rays’ bullpen usage on Tuesday will determine if Scholtens starts or enters the game as a bulk-inning reliever following an opener.
“I’m here. I’m going to pitch,” Scholtens said. “I want to help these guys out. No complaints there at all.”