The Rays announced a few transactions before this evening’s game against the Red Sox. Zach Eflin landed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to yesterday, with lower back inflammation. Brandon Lowe is back from the 10-day IL to take the vacated roster spot. Tampa Bay also optioned reliever Manuel Rodríguez to Triple-A Durham to open a bullpen spot for Richard Lovelady, who has joined the team after being acquired from the Cubs on Saturday.
Eflin has turned in solid results in 10 turns through the rotation. The right-hander is averaging just under six innings per start and has worked to a 4.12 earned run average. While his 17.9% strikeout rate is on track to be his lowest since 2017, he has compensated by essentially never handing out free passes. Eflin has only walked four batters all season, a 1.6% rate that is the lowest among all pitchers with 50+ innings.
The 30-year-old has been one of Tampa Bay’s more valuable pitchers this year, although his performance is a step down from last year’s work. Eflin had a brilliant first season in St. Petersburg, turning in 177 2/3 innings of 3.50 ERA ball to earn a sixth-place finish in AL Cy Young balloting. He did lose a couple weeks early in the ’23 campaign to lower back tightness, though.
Eflin told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (X link) that this year’s back issue feels similar to last season’s minor injury. Eflin suggested he could be back in around two weeks, while manager Kevin Cash indicated it was likely to be a 2-4 week absence. Tampa Bay has off days on Thursday and next Monday, so they could function with a four-man starting staff of Aaron Civale, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell and Tyler Alexander into next week.
Lowe returns after a nearly six-week absence due to an oblique strain. The second baseman is in the cleanup spot against Tanner Houck tonight. Since Lowe landed on the IL, the Rays have rotated Curtis Mead, Amed Rosario and Richie Palacios through the keystone. Mead struggled enough that he has since been optioned to Triple-A. Palacios and Rosario have each hit well in their first seasons in Tampa Bay. They’re each capable of playing multiple positions and should still see fairly regular playing time around the diamond.
In other injury news, the Rays sent Jeffrey Springs to the Florida Complex League on a rehab assignment. The left-hander threw one inning this afternoon in his first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. Pitchers are typically allotted 30 days on a rehab stint, but returnees from Tommy John are usually allowed more than a month to build back into game shape. Springs could be ready for MLB action by the second half of June.
It’s official!….he’s getting traded to the Braves!
Aw dang it now this impacts his trade value to the braves
Now it’s only looking like Charlie Culberson and David Fletcher are headed the other way.
Get your joke, but it’ll be near impossible for the Braves to include Culberson in a deal. They released him March 23.
Zach Efron
Zach not Teflon
Being an MLB pitcher nowadays is a sweet gig. Only need to pitch 4 or 5 innings per outing and spend 3/4 of the season on the IL making millions per year. And if you’re ERA is around 4.00, you’re considered a decent 2nd or 3rd starter.
Catching up on some rest for the pennant race.
Are the Braves making a move for him now?
No. Most teams would not trade a pitcher/player while on the IL without an overpay because of presumably selling low, considering they wouldn’t be able to make an immediate impact with their buyer.
For ex, ATL traded for an injured Eddie Rosario (intercostal strain) in 2021, who was considered a salary dump his last season in CLE, with ATL trading Pablo Sandoval (who CLE released the same day they acquired him). Rosario was on the IL for a few weeks and came back in time for the postseason roster where he caught fire in the NLDS and helped ATL do something PHI hasn’t done in quite some time.
What, enter the post season as favorites every year and get sent home early? Oh, that year was the exception. Sorry, my bad.
So much for Bob Nightengale’s crystal ball.
The infamous Tampa Bay ‘underground city’ secret pitching lab breaks another pitcher. That’s okay they can always frankenstein another one then flush, rinse, repeat.
@Ignorant Son-of-a-b
No one cares anymore about pitchers. They’re a dime a dozen nowadays. Look at all the pitchers on the IL and we just keep bringing more guys up to replace them and the cycle repeats.
@OLd York of course we have to care about pitchers…you think a team can get very far in the playoffs without any pitching? Good pitching will always negate good hitting (unless it doesn’t.)
Xach was okay as Wolverines sidekick in the circus flick not so much as the Rocks wingman
I thought Pepiot was due back this week? That should scuttle the need for a 4 man rotation
Yep. Pep returns Wednesday, which is why most Rays’ fans think this injury to Eflin is crazy convenient. It’s most likely just a little bit of rest (2 missed starts) for a pitcher who had injury concerns before coming to Tampa.