The Rays’ bullpen shuffle got a little more serious on Saturday, with left-hander Garrett Cleavinger landing on the 15-day injured list because of left forearm tightness. Tampa Bay filled the opening by selecting right-hander Ty Johnson from Triple-A Durham, while infielder Oliver Dunn was designated for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster.
Cleavinger’s move comes one day after he worked in the Rays’ 7-6 win over the Rangers and didn’t record an out against any of the three batters he faced. Elias Diaz’s grand slam highlighted the rough inning, and Cleavinger also allowed a walk and a single while taking the blame for two runs. That kind of line could be explained by him trying to work through the forearm problem, but the injured-list placement adds real uncertainty about whether he’ll be back before the end of the 2026 season.
The Rays will hope the discomfort disappears quickly, though forearm tightness is the sort of issue that can lead to bigger worries. That makes Cleavinger a possible October question mark if the recovery drags on.
Even before the injury, his year had been a mixed bag: a 4.79 ERA, a .320 BABIP, and a 12.2% walk rate that stands well above his 7.4BB% from last season. His 3.42 SIERA sits close to the 3.20 SIERA he posted for Tampa Bay from 2023-25, but his 2025 numbers were clearly better, and left-handed hitters have been especially troublesome this season with an .832 OPS against him compared to .699 for right-handers.
For the Rays, the timing is less than ideal. Cleavinger is the third pitcher they’ve lost to the IL in the last two days, following Shane McClanahan and Manuel Rodriguez, who were both placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with forearm tightness and a lower back strain, respectively.
There has been some relief mixed in, though, with Cole Sulser activated from the IL yesterday and Griffin Jax back earlier this week. Even so, Tampa Bay is dealing with more pitching turnover than it would want this close to the postseason, especially while trying to keep the Yankees behind them in the AL East and in the race for the top seed in the AL playoff bracket.
Johnson now gets the call, and the 25-year-old will be making his major league debut the first time he appears in a game. A Rockwall, Texas native, he should have a built-in home crowd this weekend in Arlington if the Rays use him against the Rangers. Tampa Bay acquired him from the Cubs as part of the three-player package for Isaac Paredes at the 2024 trade deadline, after Chicago drafted him in the 15th round in 2023.
Johnson spent most of his minor league career as a starter, but the Rays shifted him to relief in July, and the results have been sharp. He has kept opponents scoreless in eight of his 11 bullpen appearances, and in his first season at Triple-A he owns a 3.03 ERA, a 10.2% walk rate, and a 34.3% strikeout rate, with a .228 BABIP helping the cause. Baseball Prospectus placed him near the end of its top-100 list in each of the last two seasons, while MLB Pipeline ranks him as Tampa Bay’s 10th-best prospect and Baseball America has him 15th in the system.
Scouting outlets see him fitting best in relief at the big league level, where his two-pitch mix - a plus slider and a mid-90s fastball that plays up because of a low release point - could work in high-leverage spots. Given the way the Rays have used him over the past six weeks, it looks like they’re eager to find out whether he can help their bullpen now and maybe be a factor in October.
As for Dunn, his stay on the roster was brief after arriving in a May trade with the White Sox. He played nine games for Tampa Bay before being optioned to Durham on June 8, and he managed one hit in 12 plate appearances with the Rays.
Since debuting in 2024 with the Brewers and Rays, he has hit .197/.253/.275 over 157 plate appearances. If another club wants utility infield depth, he could surface as a waiver option, though his Triple-A numbers tailed off after a strong start with Chicago’s top affiliate.
Because he has previously been outrighted, Dunn can elect free agency if he clears waivers rather than accept an outright assignment off Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster.
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