The Tampa Bay Rays are running into a pitching problem at the wrong time.
What looked like a strength not long ago is suddenly looking a lot less secure, with Shane McClanahan back on the injured list because of elbow tightness and other arms either sidelined or not quite right. Manny Rodriguez is unavailable.
Garrett Cleavinger has struggled lately and hasn’t been available over the last few games. Bryan Baker even missed time over the weekend because of illness.
On their own, those issues might not set off alarms. Put them together, though, and the Rays’ once-comfortable depth starts to look shaky.
That showed up Sunday against the Texas Rangers, when Ian Seymour couldn’t get through much of the game. He lasted just three innings, gave up three earned runs, allowed two home runs and needed 75 pitches to get through it.
The home run issue is becoming impossible to ignore.
Seymour has now given up nine homers over his last five starts, and that’s the part Tampa Bay has to solve. The strikeout stuff is still real - he punched out 10 batters over seven innings against the New York Mets, and he’s shown plenty of ability to miss bats - but the profile is starting to feel too extreme.
It’s either strikeouts or long balls. There isn’t much in between.
That’s a problem because the Rays may need him in October.
Maybe McClanahan gets healthy and everything settles back into place. Maybe Cleavinger rebounds, Rodriguez returns and the bullpen looks loaded again.
But Tampa Bay can’t bank on that. Right now, it has to prepare for the possibility that pitchers like Seymour, Steven Matz or Cole Sulser are asked to handle meaningful outs in the playoffs.
And there’s at least one fresh name in the mix.
Ty Johnson made his MLB debut Sunday and gave the Rays a reason to take notice. He threw a scoreless inning, struck out two, walked one and did it all on just 14 pitches.
It was only one outing, but if Johnson keeps stacking performances like that over the next few weeks, he could work his way into the bullpen picture at exactly the right time.
The Rays still have pitching talent. That much hasn’t changed.
What has changed is the feeling around that depth. A few weeks ago, it looked like Kevin Cash had more arms than he could use. Now, Tampa Bay’s margin is thinner, and Seymour’s growing home run problem is a big reason why.
In Other News...
Rays Suddenly Have A Shortstop Problem They Must Solve Fast
Taylor Walls landing on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sept. 6 leaves the Rays with a sudden question at one of the sports most demanding positions, and they moved quickly to address it. Tampa Bay selected infielder Nick Madrigal from Triple-A Durham to fill the roster spot, turning to a player with major league experience who has spent most of his time at second and third base.
Madrigal is expected to help the Rays defensively while Walls recovers from a right hip flexor strain, but the larger issue is how long Tampa Bay will need to keep patching the middle infield. The club has survived plenty of shuffling this season, yet losing a regular shortstop even briefly can change the look of an infield in a hurry, and the next few days should reveal how comfortably the Rays can absorb it. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Farm Report Shows Which Prospects Are Forcing The Issue
The 22nd week of minor league action offered another snapshot of just how much talent is pushing through the Rays system, and the name at the top of the list is Theo Gillen. FanGraphs currently has Gillen as the organizations best prospect, with Caden Bodine also sitting near the top of the rankings, while Aidan Cremarosa remains the clubs leading pitching prospect even after missing time with injury. For a farm system built around depth and constant churn, those are the kinds of names that keep the pipeline looking healthy.
Elsewhere in the system, there were smaller signs of momentum worth watching. Ryan Cermak has put together a recent hitting streak, Austin Slater is back in the fold after re-signing, and Jadher Areinamo earned a move to Triple-A after coming back from injury. None of those developments carries the same headline value as the top-tier prospect chatter, but together they show a system with players at different stages all trying to force their way into the next conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A Different Braves Plan For One Key Young Bat
The Braves have given their batting order a fresh look for this series against the Rays, and it starts with Drake Baldwin in a very different spot. After opening games at the top of the lineup, Baldwin has been moved to cleanup, a role he has not held since July 11, as Atlanta tries to shake off a rough series against the Phillies and reset its attack.
Manager Walt Weiss also pushed Michael Harris II into the leadoff role, with Ronald Acua Jr. and Matt Olson batting in front of Baldwin. For Tampa Bay, the change matters because it alters the way the middle of Atlantas order can set the tone, turning one of the Braves younger bats into a run-producing focal point rather than an early table-setter. [Read more 🡒]