Tampa Bay Rays placed closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list due to nerve-related issues. The move came after Fairbanks, who has been struggling with numbness in his fingers for years, felt a zinger in his hand while playing catch over the weekend. Despite receiving treatment, the problem persisted and prompted the team to make the decision to place him on the injured list.
Fairbanks has had a challenging season so far, posting a 9.00 ERA in eight games. He has struggled on the mound, allowing eight runs in seven innings of work. In his absence, reliever Kevin Kelly was recalled from Triple-A Durham to fill Fairbanks’ spot on the roster.
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash explained that he plans to rotate the closer role based on matchups and will utilize pitchers like Colin Poche, Jason Adam, Shawn Armstrong, and Garrett Cleavinger in key situations. The team hopes to find a solution to Fairbanks’ health issues and get him back on the field as soon as possible.
Cash explained that he believes that Fairbanks is a talented pitcher and that he will be back before long. He also said that he is confident that this move will help him get better faster and come back stronger than ever before.
Fairbanks’ absence is expected to have little impact on Tampa Bay’s playoff chances as they are currently leading their division by six games with only six games left in the season.
Overall, it seems like Tampa Bay is making sure they take all necessary precautions with their players’ health and wellbeing while also focusing on their playoff chances.
