Rays place Pete Fairbanks on 15-day injured list

Today’s 8-7 overtime win for the Rays against the Diamondbacks came at an unfortunate price, as both Pete Fairbanks And Yandy Diaz left the game due to injury. Fairbanks’ injury is the more serious matter, as manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that the closer suffered an apparent latissimus injury and would be placed on the 15-day injured list. Diaz had to leave the game after being hit by a pitch on the left elbow, but Cash said the infielder is day-to-day since X-rays and an MRI of Diaz’s elbow both came back negative.

More will be known when Fairbanks undergoes testing, but depending on the severity of the strain, it’s possible Fairbanks has thrown his last pitch of the 2024 season. This will be his second IL appearance this season after missing about three weeks earlier this year with a nerve entrapment issue.

Fairbanks allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning today, and that shaky performance will push his ERA to 3.57 over 45 1/3 innings. Aside from his injury-plagued performance on Sunday, Fairbanks has pitched quite well in his second season as Tampa Bay’s closer, converting 23 of 27 save opportunities. Fairbanks’ 23.5% strikeout rate is slightly above average, and his 8.9% walk rate is high, though a .267 BABIP has helped cover up those mediocre numbers.

The most damage against Fairbanks came before his first IL appearance, as he posted a 1.91 ERA in his first 37 2/3 innings after recovering from nerve entrapment issues. The Rays used a bullpen-by-committee approach to salvage situations when Fairbanks was out the first time, and the team will likely use that tactic again. Jason Adam was Tampa Bay’s most effective reliever overall, although Cash could use him at any point late in the game in crucial situations rather than just holding the lead specifically in the ninth inning.

Diaz was hit in the elbow in his very first at-bat of the game, which Christoph Morel as an early replacement. Given the good news about his initial tests, Diaz could return after just a day or two of rest to recover from swelling, but the Rays will naturally be cautious with one of their most important hitters. Diaz’s .273/.329/.396 slash line over 498 PA is well below his 2022-23 output, but he’s another player getting back into gear after a slow start — Diaz had hit .301/.340/.445 in his previous 253 PA before today’s game.

These injuries will make the Rays’ path to a playoff spot even more difficult. Despite trading away a lot of experienced talent just before the trade deadline, Tampa Bay’s win tonight puts them back above the .500 mark and they are now 62-61. The club is 6.5 games out of the last AL wild card spot.