Tampa Bay Rays Place Closer Pete Fairbanks on Injured List Due to Nerve-Related Issues, Call up Reliever Kevin Kelly to Fill Spot

The Tampa Bay Rays have placed struggling closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list due to nerve-related issues before their game against the Detroit Tigers. Fairbanks has been dealing with numbness in his fingers on and off for the past few years, and the problem resurfaced over the weekend.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash explained that Fairbanks experienced discomfort while playing catch on Saturday, receiving treatment throughout the day. Despite hoping he would be ready to play on Sunday, the issue persisted before the game. Fairbanks underwent some tests on his shoulder and arm, with more testing scheduled to help identify the root of the problem.

With Fairbanks out, the Rays called up reliever Kevin Kelly from Triple-A Durham to fill his roster spot. In the meantime, the Rays plan to rotate different pitchers like Colin Poche, Jason Adam, Shawn Armstrong, and Garrett Cleavinger in the closer role based on matchups. Fairbanks has struggled this season, posting a 9.00 ERA in eight games, allowing eight runs in seven innings.

The Rays are continuing to investigate Fairbanks’ issue by running imaging tests from his neck down to his fingers. The team hopes that these tests will provide more information about what is causing Fairbanks’ numbness and how it can be treated.

Fairbanks’ absence from the closer role is not expected to affect much of Tampa Bay’s bullpen rotation as they have plenty of options available with Poche, Adam, Armstrong, and Cleavinger all capable of filling in.

Overall, this move is a smart decision by Cash as he prioritizes getting fair treatment for his player while also ensuring that he has enough options to maintain a strong bullpen rotation.