BOSTON -- The Rays lost a key part of their bullpen on Wednesday, as they placed right-hander Manuel Rodríguez on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm strain before their series finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Rodríguez last pitched Monday night, when he gave up two hits and a walk while recording three outs in Tampa Bay’s 10-8, 11-inning win against Boston. His IL stint was made retroactive to Tuesday.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Rodríguez had been sent home to the Tampa Bay area to see a doctor, which should provide more clarity regarding his status.
“I'm hoping and I'm still optimistic that it's going to be a shorter stint,” Cash said. “Just said that his elbow was barking a little bit, and anytime you've got a pitcher that's throwing as hard as he does, you're going to be very mindful of that.”
The Rays recalled right-hander Cole Sulser from Triple-A Durham to take Rodríguez’s spot on the active roster.
“A big part of our team, big part of us getting wins and having success, is our bullpen,” Cash said. “And I think here, as of late, they've been throwing really, really well in whatever role we've asked of them.”
Rodríguez has played a particularly important high-leverage role for the Rays this season, and he has been among the most reliable pitchers in front of closer Pete Fairbanks, especially against right-handed hitters.
After solidifying himself as a late-inning option last year, the 28-year-old Rodríguez has put together a 2.08 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 30 1/3 innings over a team-leading 31 appearances. He hasn’t necessarily been limited to one inning per appearance, but he has handled key spots, especially over the past month.
“Anytime that you're losing a high-leverage guy that performs that well against righties, obviously that's something that's hard to replace,” Fairbanks said. “But I think we've got a lot of guys down there with a pretty good right-handed approach and who should be more than up to the task of filling those shoes.”
With Fairbanks set in the ninth, the Rays could ask for more from right-hander Edwin Uceta, who has followed up last season’s breakout performance with an up-and-down start to this season. They could also lean more on sidearming right-hander Kevin Kelly or righty Eric Orze, who has put together a 1.42 ERA in 25 1/3 innings over his first 20 appearances this year.
It’s more likely the Rays will mix and match to get their relievers in the best possible matchups to make up for the loss of Rodríguez, however long it lasts.
“I don't think Manny necessarily had a role. He was pitching in the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth when Pete was down,” Cash said. “They're all accustomed to doing that. I don't think we have to look at anybody and say, 'Hey, you're going to do this now.'”