TAMPA -- The Rays' bullpen’s rough stretch heading into the All-Star break extended beyond a handful of late-game losses.
High-leverage right-hander Manuel Rodríguez exited a Minor League rehab appearance with Triple-A Durham last Friday due to diminished fastball velocity and soreness in his throwing elbow. While the Rays are still gathering information, president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Thursday that the reliever won’t be back in the near future.
“Not one that’s going to be returning to us anytime soon, it looks like,” Neander said.
Out since June 11 due to a right forearm strain, Rodríguez worked his way back to start a rehab assignment and appeared to be on track to rejoin the Rays after the All-Star break. Instead, he exited his outing last Friday after the third pitch of his third at-bat, a fastball that clocked in at just 91.6 mph. That’s a steep drop-off from the 97.2 mph his sinker was averaging in the Majors this season.
A long-term absence would be tough news for the Rays, whose bullpen posted an MLB-worst 6.91 ERA from June 27 through last Sunday, with eight losses charged to relievers during that stretch. The Rays already made one effort to upgrade that unit last week, acquiring reliever Bryan Baker from the Orioles, but it still seems like an area they could address leading up to the July 31 Trade Deadline.
Perhaps ironically, how well the Rays perform over these next two weeks will determine how aggressive they are at the Trade Deadline -- and how well their bullpen does will play a massive part in how they perform during that stretch.
Neander expressed his confidence in the group, as well as the team as a whole, and noted that they were in nearly every game they lost during a 4-12 stretch to finish the first half, typically the sign of a competitive team. Still, he also acknowledged their reality: They’re in fourth place in the American League East and 1 1/2 games out of an AL Wild Card spot.
“We’ve got to make up some ground. There’s a belief in this team,” Neander said. “These are really big games that will have some sort of influence on our decision-making as the month draws to a close.”
The Rays are also making one move from within to potentially upgrade their relief corps. Hard-throwing starter Joe Boyle, who had been piggybacking with All-Star Drew Rasmussen as a way to help manage Rasmussen’s workload, will remain in the bullpen even as Rasmussen gets stretched back out to pitching five or six innings coming out of the break.
Under the previous arrangement, Boyle’s outings had been scheduled behind Rasmussen. Now, he will be available whenever needed in a role reminiscent of the one Rasmussen played down the stretch last year or the one Collin McHugh served in 2021. In other words, he could serve as a bridge to the late-inning relievers, work multiple-inning stints or be brought in for three outs.
The Rays still view Boyle as a starter, Neander said, and he will be available to step in if they need to fill a spot in the rotation.
“We've carried roles like that in the past with great success. It seems to kind of optimize the quality and quantity, not just of him, but of the group,” Neander said. “He’s excited about that.”
Roster moves
The Rays on Thursday added reliever Joey Gerber to their 40-man roster and optioned him to Triple-A Durham, where he has been pitching all season. To make room for Gerber, they transferred reliever Hunter Bigge to the 60-day injured list.
Bigge was on the IL recovering from a right lat strain when he was struck in the face by a foul ball, which required a trip to the hospital and eventually surgery to repair facial fractures. Bigge is nearly a month removed from surgery, but a return this season hasn’t been ruled out.
“Baseball kind of sits somewhere secondary to what he went through, but he's doing well,” Neander said. “A return is something that I believe is not out of the question at some point, but probably a step or two before we get to really bring that into focus at this point.”
As for Gerber, the 28-year-old right-hander signed a Minor League deal with the Rays that included an upward mobility clause. Rather than having him leave, Tampa Bay added him to the 40-man roster, with Neander saying he could be in the mix for an opportunity later this season. Gerber has a 4.73 ERA with 32 strikeouts and 10 walks in 26 2/3 innings over 19 appearances for Durham this year.