PHILADELPHIA – Rays starter Griffin Jax exited Saturday night’s 12-1 win over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park after taking a 104 mph comebacker off his lower back in the third inning.
Jax sustained only a lower back contusion, and he does not expect the injury to affect his postseason availability in any way.
“I’ll be fine,” Jax said afterward. “I have no concerns or issues about how I’m going to feel tomorrow waking up.”
With two outs and a runner on second base in the third, Trea Turner smoked a line drive right at Jax. The ball caromed off the right-hander, but shortstop Taylor Walls got to it in time to throw out Turner at first.
Jax bent over in obvious pain before walking to the dugout. He did not return in the fourth inning, with left-hander Steven Matz taking over.
Jax said his initial reaction was both shock and stiffness, but he retreated to the clubhouse immediately to receive treatment.
“We weren’t going to let him push through it and get tightened up, but I think he’s going to be fine,” manager Kevin Cash said.
Oddly enough, it was the second time this season that a comebacker to the lower back ended one of Jax’s starts. He was struck by a 107 mph liner in the second inning of his May 26 start in Baltimore, finished the frame then came out of the game.
Turner’s comebacker hit Jax in an “almost identical spot” on the right side of his lower back, he said, maybe an inch to the left.
Jax did not miss a turn in the rotation after that incident, however, and he made his next start on June 1.
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Jax held the Phillies to two hits while working three scoreless innings on 52 pitches (33 strikes) in his final outing of the regular season. His successful transition from the bullpen to the rotation has been one of many pleasant surprises amid Tampa Bay’s march to the top of the American League standings.
The Rays have not yet made any announcements regarding their postseason roster, but one of their most interesting decisions is what to do with the starting staff.
They will likely only need three starters to get through the AL Division Series, and they have five healthy and talented options in Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta, Ian Seymour and Jax.