The Rays’ 8-7 extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks Sunday got here at an unlucky price, as each Pete Fairbanks and Yandy Diaz left the sport resulting from accidents. Fairbanks’ damage is the extra severe matter, as supervisor Kevin Money informed reporters (together with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that the nearer suffered an obvious lat pressure and can be headed to the 15-day injured record. Diaz needed to depart the sport after being hit in his left elbow with a pitch, however Cash said the infielder is each day since X-rays and an MRI of Diaz’s elbow had been each adverse.
Extra can be recognized as soon as Fairbanks undergoes checks, however relying on the severity of the pressure, it’s doable Fairbanks would possibly’ve thrown his final pitch of the 2024 marketing campaign. This can be his second IL stint of the season, after he missed round three weeks earlier this yr coping with a nerve entrapment situation.
Fairbanks allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning of labor at present, and that rocky efficiency will enhance his ERA as much as 3.57 over 45 1/3 frames. Sunday’s injury-marred outing apart, Fairbanks has pitched fairly effectively in his second season as Tampa Bay’s nearer, as he has transformed 23-of-27 save alternatives. Fairbanks’ 23.5% strikeout price is barely above common and his 8.9% stroll price is on the excessive aspect, although a .267 BABIP has helped paper over these middling metrics.
Many of the injury towards Fairbanks occurred previous to his first IL stint, as he posted a 1.91 ERA in his first 37 2/3 innings after recovering from the nerve entrapment issues. The Rays used a bullpen-by-committee method to avoid wasting conditions when Fairbanks was sidelined that first time and the staff will in all probability undertake that very same tactic once more. Jason Adam has been Tampa Bay’s best reliever general, although Money would possibly deploy him in high-leverage conditions at any level late in a recreation, relatively than particularly simply holding leads within the ninth inning.
Diaz was hit on the elbow in his very first at-bat of the sport, forcing Christopher Morel into the lineup as a early substitute. Given the excellent news about his preliminary checks, it could possibly be that Diaz would possibly return after only a day or two off to get well from any swelling, however the Rays will naturally be cautious about considered one of their key bats. Diaz’s .273/.329/.396 slash line over 498 PA is effectively beneath his manufacturing from 2022-23, however he’s one other participant who has began to get it collectively after a sluggish begin — Diaz had hit .301/.340/.445 in his earlier 253 PA getting into Sunday’s motion.
These accidents will make the Rays’ uphill climb in direction of a playoff berth even steeper. Regardless of shifting numerous veteran expertise on the commerce deadline, at present’s win moved Tampa Bay again above the .500 mark to 62-61 and the membership is 6.5 video games again of the final AL wild-card spot.
