The Rays’ 8-7 extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks Sunday got here at an unlucky value, as each Pete Fairbanks and Yandy Diaz left the sport as a consequence of accidents. Fairbanks’ harm is the extra critical matter, as supervisor Kevin Money instructed reporters (together with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Occasions) that the nearer suffered an obvious lat pressure and can be headed to the 15-day injured listing. Diaz needed to depart the sport after being hit in his left elbow with a pitch, however Money stated the infielder is day after day since X-rays and an MRI of Diaz’s elbow have been each damaging.
Extra can be recognized as soon as Fairbanks undergoes assessments, however relying on the severity of the pressure, it’s doable Fairbanks may’ve thrown his final pitch of the 2024 marketing campaign. This can be his second IL stint of the season, after he missed round three weeks earlier this yr coping with a nerve entrapment concern.
Fairbanks allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning of labor in the present day, and that rocky efficiency will enhance his ERA as much as 3.57 over 45 1/3 frames. Sunday’s injury-marred outing apart, Fairbanks has pitched fairly nicely in his second season as Tampa Bay’s nearer, as he has transformed 23-of-27 save alternatives. Fairbanks’ 23.5% strikeout fee is barely above common and his 8.9% stroll fee is on the excessive facet, although a .267 BABIP has helped paper over these middling metrics.
A lot of the harm towards Fairbanks occurred previous to his first IL stint, as he posted a 1.91 ERA in his first 37 2/3 innings after recovering from the nerve entrapment issues. The Rays used a bullpen-by-committee method to avoid wasting conditions when Fairbanks was sidelined that first time and the crew will in all probability undertake that very same tactic once more. Jason Adam has been Tampa Bay’s handiest reliever total, although Money may deploy him in high-leverage conditions at any level late in a recreation, fairly than particularly simply holding leads within the ninth inning.
Diaz was hit on the elbow in his very first at-bat of the sport, forcing Christopher Morel into the lineup as a early substitute. Given the excellent news about his preliminary assessments, it could possibly be that Diaz may return after only a day or two off to get well from any swelling, however the Rays will naturally be cautious about certainly one of their key bats. Diaz’s .273/.329/.396 slash line over 498 PA is nicely beneath his manufacturing from 2022-23, however he’s one other participant who has began to get it collectively after a gradual begin — Diaz had hit .301/.340/.445 in his earlier 253 PA coming into Sunday’s motion.
These accidents will make the Rays’ uphill climb in direction of a playoff berth even steeper. Regardless of shifting a variety of veteran expertise on the commerce deadline, in the present day’s win moved Tampa Bay again above the .500 mark to 62-61 and the membership is 6.5 video games again of the final AL wild-card spot.
