In the words of Rays manager Kevin Cash, Pete Fairbanks’ “hip locked up” while the reliever was getting ready to enter today’s game with the Dodgers. Instead, Fairbanks halted his warm-up and went to the dugout once the inning was over. Cash told Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that according to the team trainer, Fairbanks’ “muscles look to be okay, but we saw him walk very gingerly from the bullpen and he was in some pain.” More will be known after Fairbanks undergoes further examination.
Fairbanks already spent 15 days on the injured list due to forearm inflammation earlier this season, and missed a couple of other games due to his symptoms of Raynaud’s disease, which manifests in the form of finger numbness. Injuries have been a frequent setback for Fairbanks during his pro career, but he has been a very effective reliever when healthy, as indicated by his 2.84 ERA over 117 1/3 innings since joining the Rays during the 2019 season. Tampa is 13 games into a stretch of 16 games in 16 games, and while Cash is hopeful that his bullpen can hold up until Thursday’s off-day, the club doesn’t have much room to maneuver if Fairbanks has to miss even a couple of days to recover.
More from around the AL East…
- Anthony Rizzo left today’s game for what the Yankees deemed as “precautionary reasons” due to a neck injury. During an unsuccessful attempt by Fernando Tatis Jr. to get back to first base during the sixth inning, Tatis’ hip and upper leg collided with Rizzo’s head, leaving Rizzo shaken up. He left the game and underwent concussion protocol, though manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including MLB.com’s Betelhem Ashame) after the game that Rizzo “was fine” and might even be able to return for Monday’s game.
- While other division rivals have dealt with various injuries, the Blue Jays have been among the healthier teams in baseball, which The Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm notes is something of a double-edged sword. While it’s obviously good news that the Jays have avoided any major injury concerns, the club hasn’t really capitalized on its good fortune, as Toronto’s 28-26 record puts them in last place in the competitive AL East. Furthermore, it seems unlikely that the Jays will avoid the injury bug for too long, which will put a further strain on the club’s thin bench. This lack of depth has already been tested over the last few days, with Danny Jansen now on the 10-day IL and Kevin Kiermaier leaving Saturday’s game with back soreness.
Who knew that Rizzo even had a neck?
Rizzo SMASH?
As always the Yankees or their players, are the main topic and priority on this site. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Damn straight! If it wasn’t this site would be out of business in a NY minute. Ahahaha!
C’mon Capitán Juez, The Rays get 48 lines out of this report, Blue Jays 36 and The Yanks 26 including the name on the reporter (a very weird name btw) so I believe this is pure and genuine sarcasm.
They should be talking about how they’re a middle-of-the-pack team, too.
Rizzo has been tremendous this year!!! So glad he seems to be OK. The Yankees lineup is already short and he has easily been the second most important player in that lineup.
That is obviously true
16 games in 16 games…redundant department of redundancy.
You can say that again …
Whoever thought the Rays Achilles heel was the bullpen? Dial 1-800 Aroldis…
I called that phone number and it give me car insurance options.
You are a real piece of work and lying sack of dump to boot. I hope you get hit by a train for lying
The Orioles have seemed to be relatively free of injury as well. Bradish was out for a bit as well as Urias. Guys like Hays and Meteo have fought through some dings and nicks. I believe that’s it. (I don’t count Givens and Tate because they were not on the opening day roster).
Fairbanks to IL today.
That play was totally Rizzo’s fault. He blocked the way to the base on Tatis (who should have been called safe for the obstruction) and basically earned what he got. Then he acted like the jerk that he is and shoved Tatis when he was stumbling off into the abyss of the infield. Hard to feel sorry for the guy, but glad he wasn’t really injured, I guess he just suffered a bruised ego.
If the Celtics win game 7, then Miami can join the Yankees for the greatest choke in playoff series….
Miami looks like they will win game 7 leaving the New York Yankees as the only team to be up 3 games in a 7 game playoff series THEN LOOSE 4 STRAIGHT. The Yankees stand alone as the greatest CHOKERS.
How many Championships do they have? 27 and the most ever of any team. I would rather have one bad playoff and finish 27 year’s winning the last game of the season!