3:40PM: “Fortunately, it’s nothing serious,” Archer told the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin and other reporters. Cash also sounded optimistic, saying that Archer could only have tendinitis and might miss just one start, though an injured list stint is likely.
2:11PM: Archer left the game due to right lateral forearm tightness, the team announced.
1:41PM: Chris Archer exited today’s start against the Yankees due to an apparent injury. After DJ LeMahieu’s one-out double in the third inning, Archer was visited on the mound by Rays manager Kevin Cash and the team trainer. That ended Archer’s day after 42 pitches and 2 1/3 scoreless innings (four strikeouts, three hits, no walks).
While there hasn’t yet been any word on the nature of Archer’s injury, it doesn’t bode well that the right-hander has run into another issue in the wake of a lost 2020 season. Archer missed all of last year after undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and was also limited to 119 2/3 innings with the Pirates in 2019 due to thumb and shoulder problems. Between Nick Anderson, Chaz Roe, and Pete Fairbanks, the Rays have already taken a lot of injury hits to their bullpen this season, and now a potential absence for Archer threatens their rotation depth.
Archer signed a one-year, $6.5MM free agent deal with the Rays in February, returning to the site of his early-career heyday. Archer was a two-time All-Star during his original stint in Tampa from 2012 until the 2018 trade deadline, when the Rays sent him to the Pirates in what is now one of the more infamous trades in Pittsburgh baseball history. Between Archer’s injuries and struggles with the Pirates, the team unsurprisingly declined their $11MM club option on his services last fall.
He was visibly upset when leaving the mound. Definitely trying to hold back tears, so it must be something serious.
Listening to the Yankee radio broadcast yesterday. They said the Rays explained that the signings of Archer, Hill, and Wacha was to get them starting pitching to mid-season. From there the plan is to bring up 4 pitchers – Honeywell, Fleming, Patino, and McClenahan. They consider those pitchers to be starters, and that’s what they will do if they’re healthy.
So for all Yankee and Jays fans thinking the Rays are stuck, the plan was already in place as to how they’ll play out the 2021 season. Add that Wander will also be brought up, probably others as well.
The Rays FO runs that organization like a business. They’re incredibly bright, and their ML roster and minor league system is the deepest in MLB…..including the Dodgers.
Honeywell is still going to be very good *when* he pitches. The dude is filthy *when* he’s on the mound.
Understand.
Just passing on what the Yankee broadcasters were told in an interview with Manager Kevin Cash in a Zoom interview Thursday.
I suppose the “when” counts for everyone, right? Kershaw is not filthy when he is in the dugout.
I get yr point–Honey has had some bad luck. Hopefully he comes up when we play Texas. That’d be sweet. Then the snidery of your comment can be left behind.
As a Jays fan, I never trust the Rays. They always have someone that can step in. They always look terrible on paper, then you blink and they have 90 wins
@ suave316;
LOL
If the Rays were located in NYC, Boston, or the North Side of Chicago, you – and every baseball fan – would know all about their players and farm system.
Thank you. The Rays are loaded on the farm, especially after McKay comes back. No guarantees obviously, but not a bad group to have in waiting.
Right forearm tightness for Archer
The Rays have a great fundamentally sound team. A lineup that makes consistent contact and pitchers who are not well known get hitters out. They always have turnover but continue to be there at the end of the season.
Hey, it doesn’t really matter who the rays throw out there, the Yankees can’t hit’em anyway. Coupled with the fact the starting pitching is shaky at best & they can’t spell defense much less play it, it’s gonna be a loooonnnng summer in the Bronx. It’s a good thing we just picked up a guy who led the league in strike outs in 19, maybe he can save us. Smfh
Don’t worry they will get strike-out king Trevor Story also by the trade deadline.
Forearm tightness…never a good sign. Arch is one of my all-time fave Rays, I hope this does not lead to the big TJ…
And wow did he look good today.
They were saying after the game that it’s the outside of his forearm, not the inside where you would have TJS concerns. They made it sound like it’s more just some soreness or tendonitis and believe it will be a relatively short IL stint. Obviously, it’s very early and thinks can change, but the way they talked about it the Rays and Archer don’t seem to consider it serious.
Pirate fan here…that trade was a disaster, but Archer is a class act. I wish him all the best.
Yep. You know he wishes he could have done more for yr team, too. But I know he did good things for the community–class act indeed.
So how much time is forearm tightness?
18 months
Forearm tightness? Hope he doesn’t add TJS to his injury resume.
Didn’t he already have it once?
Wow, 7th update in a row regarding injuries. Sounds like the beginning of the NFL season when someone was going down every week with an ACL tear.
It’s been a rough week to be sure…