The Rays removed reliever Oliver Drake from their American League Division Series roster with the Yankees due to a right flexor tendon strain, per a team announcement. Trevor Richards has been activated in a corresponding move. Players removed from a postseason roster mid-series are ineligible to return in the next round, so Drake would not be available for the ALCS should Tampa Bay qualify.
Drake hasn’t pitched since Game 1 of this series, when he threw a scoreless inning. The 33-year-old struggled in his eleven regular season frames this year, but he was a key bullpen piece for skipper Kevin Cash in 2019. Last year, Drake tossed 56 innings of 3.21 ERA/3.87 FIP ball, finding a home after a chaotic 2018 season that saw him pitch for five different clubs. He’ll be eligible for arbitration for a second time this offseason, where he’d receive a small raise on this year’s $1.025MM salary if tendered a contract.
Richards, 27, pitched in nine games (starting six) this season, working to a 5.91 ERA/4.97 FIP. The former Marlin will give Cash a multi-inning option out of the bullpen.
still can’t believe he pitched MLB innings for four different teams in a single season. Has that ever happened before? I remember Joel Youngblood playing for two different teams in two different cities on the same day, but 5 teams in one year. Wow
Of course it has. Dfa bundle
Drake is the only player to appear for five different teams in a season.
Somewhat tangential, but when I double checked this, I also learned that Youngblood wasn’t the first player to play for two different teams in the same day. In 1922. the Cubs traded Max Flack to the Cardinals for Cliff Heathcote between games of a doubleheader, and both players played for their new team in the 2nd game. Fun stuff!
Youngblood played for 2 different teams, got hits off 2 hall of famers too…..kingman fid the whole m.l.b. in 77.. mets then padres then angels then yankees..all after the trade deadline too
..did the…. first nl east ,then nl west, then al west and al east
This is a big loss, However he’s no use in the playoffs if not 100%
Love the Drake!
It seems that D.J. may spin a record deal.
Trevor Richards sucks. Bring up Wander and sit B. Lowe and win the damn series.