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Kevin Kiermaier To Undergo Thumb Surgery

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2:05pm: Topkin now adds that he hears that Kiermaier’s absence will likely be closer to 12 to 13 weeks than to eight weeks (Twitter link).

11:50am: The Rays announced that Kiermaier has been placed on the 10-day DL and confirmed the ligament tear as well as the requirement for surgery. Right-hander Chih-Wei Hu has been recalled from Triple-A Durham to take Kiermaier’s spot on the active roster for now.

11:24am: Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb when sliding into second base yesterday and will require surgery that could sideline him for the next eight to 12 weeks, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Manager Kevin Cash had already suggested after yesterday’s game that Kiermaier could miss some significant time with the injury. He underwent an MRI this morning that revealed the tear, and a formal announcement is expected from the team later this afternoon, according to Topkin.

Though Kiermaier was off to a dreadful .163/.250/.233 start to his season, the loss of one of the game’s premier defenders is a significant blow to the Rays. Tampa Bay is off to just a 3-12 start to the 2018 season, and Kiermaier’s absence possibly into the month of July won’t do them any favors. This’ll now be three straight seasons in which Kiermaier has missed multiple months due to injury, having previously been shelved by a fractured wrist and a fractured hip.

[Related: Tampa Bay Rays depth chart]

The Rays have a pair of center-field capable outfielders on the active roster already in the form of Mallex Smith and Carlos Gomez. Presumably, one of the two will step into the considerable void left by Kiermaier. The injury will also likely push Denard Span into the outfield with more regularity, and it could clear a spot on the big league roster for recent waiver pickup Jeremy Hazelbaker.

Given the Rays’ miserable start to the 2018 campaign and now the lost of perhaps their best all-around player, trade rumblings surrounding their more established players figure to crop up earlier in the year than usual. Chris Archer and Alex Colome are a perennial fixtures on the rumor mill, though each struggled to a dismal start of his own. Gomez, Wilson Ramos, Adeiny Hechavarria, Sergio Romo and Span are among the other logical trade candidates on the Rays, should the team ultimately show an openness to moving some pieces. For now, of course, the focus for the Rays will remain on rebounding from an ugly start to the season.

Injury Notes: Kiermaier, Zunino, Iwakuma, Hosmer, Pomeranz

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Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier suffered a right thumb sprain during today’s game against the Phillies. He’ll get an MRI on Monday, says manager Kevin Cash (h/t Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). There’s no official word yet as to the severity, but Cash says that “he’s going to be out” and that “there’s a chance he’s going to miss a chunk of time.” On Sunday, Johnny Field replaced Kiermaier after his departure, and could get the lion’s share of the work in center field while the former Gold Glove winner is out.

More of the latest injury notes from around MLB…

  • Bob Dutton of MLB.com offers some insight into the return timetable of Mariners catcher Mike Zunino, who’s been sidelined the entire season thus far with an oblique strain. On Monday, he’ll begin a rehab assignment at the Class A Advanced level. “I’m really close,” said Zunino. “I think I’m ready now. I’ve had a couple of days of full swings in batting practice, but they’re just being really cautious.” As Dutton notes, that probably means the assignment will last at least two or three games. Meanwhile, 37-year-old right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma has been throwing bullpen sessions and could begin a rehab assignment himself in a few weeks. He had shoulder surgery on September 27th of last year after spending the bulk of the season on the DL.
  • Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer missed his second consecutive game today with what’s being described as lower back tightness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. A club spokesman has apparently called the injury “minor”. The Friars gave Hosmer an eight-year, $144MM contract that represents a significant investment in both their present and future, and he’s off to a solid start so far this season, hitting .288/.364/.458 in 15 games.
  • Lefty Drew Pomeranz of the Red Sox is scheduled to be activated for Friday’s tilt against Oakland, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports (via Ryan Hannable of the same publication). it’ll be his first start of the season. Pomeranz has been sidelined with a flexor tendon strain all season, and his return should further improve a Red Sox ballclub that’s currently 13-2 and sits high atop the AL East.

Rays Outright Ryan Weber

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Rays right-hander Ryan Weber has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Durham, Bill Chastain of MLB.com tweets. Weber had been in limbo since the Rays designated him for assignment Friday.

Because Weber was outrighted in the past (by Seattle in 2016), he could have refused this assignment in favor of free agency. But it seems the St. Petersburg native will stay with his hometown organization, which added him on a minor league deal in the offseason. Tampa Bay selected Weber’s contract last week, and he went on to make just one appearance – during which he yielded three runs (one earned) on one hit and one walk while only recording a single out – before losing his 40-man spot.

While Weber has only racked up 68 1/3 major league frames of 5.11 ERA ball since debuting in 2015, he has been a success in Triple-A. The 27-year-old has managed a stingy 2.16 ERA with 5.1 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 across 167 innings at the minors’ highest level.

Rays "Would Love To" Talk To Mets About Wilson Ramos

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The Rays “would love to talk” with the Mets about catcher Wilson Ramos if New York is interested in absorbing most of his $10.5MM salary, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Whether the Mets are eyeing Ramos is unclear, but the NL-best club (11-1) is without its top two backstops, the injured Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki, which could put it in the market for help behind the plate. D’Arnaud won’t play again this year (Tommy John surgery), though Plawecki should return within a month from a fracture in his left hand. Therefore, the Mets might not feel the need to do anything drastic, such as taking on most of Ramos’ money.

Rays Designate Ryan Weber

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The Rays have designated righty Ryan Weber for assignment, club broadcaster Neil Solondz tweets. The open roster spot will go to outfielder Johnny Field, whose contract was selected — as the team had announced already.

Weber had already been removed from the active roster to make way for Field, with the Rays initially optioning him out. Now, the 27-year-old will head to DFA limbo.

Weber has worked to a 5.11 ERA in 68 2/3 total MLB innings over the past four years. He missed a chunk of time in 2017 due to injury but did impress in his limited action at Triple-A. In 31 2/3 innings in six appearances, five of them starts, Weber worked to a 0.85 ERA with 5.4 K/9 against 1.1 BB/9.

Rays Execs, Players Discuss Unconventional Pitching Plans

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  • Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal spoke to multiple Rays officials and players about the team’s unconventional pitching staff in 2018. Tampa Bay opened the year with just three starters in its rotation and a plan to patch together the would-be fourth and fifth spots in their rotation with an ongoing series of bullpen days. While some have questioned the wisdom of the decision, Diamond notes that the bullpen days thus far haven’t been the team’s downfall; rather, shaky performances from Chris Archer, Blake Snell and Jake Faria have hampered the Rays’ results. “If we occupy the wake of both the Yankees and Boston and our behavior is aligned with theirs, we’re never going to step out and pass them — ever,” one anonymous official tells Diamond. GM Erik Neander, meanwhile, acknowledges that his team’s plan may not pan out but assures that quite a bit of thinking went into the matter. As for the Rays’ players, Chris Archer and rookie left-hander Ryan Yarbrough were among those to voice their support of the system to Diamond.

Rays To Select Contract Of Johnny Field

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The Rays announced tonight that they’ve optioned right-hander Ryan Weber to Triple-A Durham and will formally select the contract of minor league outfielder Johnny Field prior to Thursday’s game. Tampa Bay will have to make a corresponding 40-man roster move to accommodate Field, although that announcement won’t be made until tomorrow, per the team.

Field, 26, was the Rays’ fifth-round pick back in the 2013 draft and will be making his Major League debut when he first finds his way into the lineup for Tampa Bay. While he’s not considered to be among the organization’s top prospect at present, Baseball America did rank him 27th among Rays farmhands a couple offseasons ago, praising his feel for hitting and superb work ethic. Field had a lackluster season in 2017, but he’s posted an overall line of .268/.318/.437 in parts of three Triple-A campaigns (including a fast start in 2018).

The 27-year-old Weber pitched just a third of an inning for the Rays yesterday after being brought up to the big league club a day prior. Given that he has options remaining and experience in both the rotation and bullpen, he could be shuttled back and forth between St. Petersburg and Durham for much of the season as the Rays work with an unconventional alignment of their pitching staff that’ll assuredly require the club to frequently tap into its minor league system.

Rays Acquire Jeremy Hazelbaker From Diamondbacks

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The Rays have acquired outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash, the teams announced. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Tampa Bay has transferred right-hander Jose De Leon to the 60-day disabled list.

Hazelbaker, whom the D-backs designated for assignment late last week, will head to Triple-A Durham. De Leon underwent Tommy John surgery during Spring Training, so he’ll be out for the entirety of the 2018 season.

The 30-year-old Hazelbaker will give the Rays some depth across the board in the outfield, as he’s plenty experienced in center and in both outfield corners. The left-handed-hitting Hazelbaker was the talk of MLB two years ago when he broke camp with the Cardinals and posted an absurd .317/.357/.683 slash in the month of April. However, he cooled off considerably over the remainder of the season and was ultimately waived by St. Louis and claimed by Arizona.

Last year with the D-backs, Hazelbaker logged 61 plate appearances and again posted some eye-popping numbers, hitting .346/.443/.577 with two doubles, two homers and two triples. In all, Hazelbaker is a .258/.327/.500 hitter in in 285 MLB plate appearances, and he owns a .277/.336/.452 slash in parts of seven Triple-A seasons.

Kevin Kiermaier Nearing Return

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  • Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier has avoided significant damage to his foot, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He has spent some time in a walking boot while the swelling goes down after ending up on the receiving end of a foul ball, but has been cleared of any broken bones. Indeed, Kiermaier now says he’s preparing to work out today with hopes of getting back in game action as soon as tomorrow, as Topkin adds on Twitter.

Rays Place Brad Miller On DL, Select Ryan Weber’s Contract

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The Rays have placed first baseman Brad Miller on the 10-day disabled list, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The club selected the contract of right-hander Ryan Weber from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move, thus giving it a full 40-man roster.

Miller suffered a groin injury while running the bases Sunday against the Red Sox, who overcame a 7-2 deficit in the eighth inning to post six runs and pull out an 8-7 win over the Rays. It was the most disappointing defeat yet in a slow start for Tampa Bay, which is a major league-worst 1-8 through the first week-plus of the season. Miller hasn’t exactly helped the Rays’ cause, having hit a so-so .222/.300/.370 (96 wRC+) through 30 plate appearances. However, that’s better production than Miller logged in 2017, a season in which he slashed .201/.327/.337 (83 wRC+) in 407 PAs. C.J. Cron stands out as the most logical replacement for Miller on the Rays’ 25-man roster.

Weber, a Tampa Bay native who signed a minor league pact with the Rays in the offseason, has thrown 68 1/3 innings (22 appearances, eight starts) since debuting with the Braves in 2015. The 27-year-old has registered a 5.00 ERA/4.47 FIP with 5.53 K/9, 1.45 BB/9 and a 55.7 percent groundball rate between Atlanta and Seattle. Weber has been far better at preventing runs at the Triple-A level (2.16 ERA, 5.1 K/9, 1.5 BB/9 in 167 innings), and he’ll hope for that type of success with the Rays, whose bullpen took a beating Sunday.

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