The Rays got a needed bit of good news on Tyler Wells, even if the timing still stings. The right-hander landed on the injured list with forearm tightness, but an MRI came back clean enough to keep optimism alive that this will be a short stay.
Wells was surprised to feel the tightness after his most recent outing on Monday, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported on X that the scan showed “the best news possible” and that the team is “hoping that it's just a minimum stint” and he can return for playoffs.
That’s the target now. Because Wells is on the 15-day injured list, his regular season is done - Tampa Bay’s final game is Sept. 27 against the Philadelphia Phillies, and he won’t be eligible to come off the IL until the following day. If everything goes right, the Rays could still have him back for the start of the postseason, with Oct. 3 in the ALDS the date they’re eyeing as they chase the No. 1 seed in the American League and a first-round bye.
For a pitching staff that’s been hit hard in September, that would be a welcome lift. Shane McClanahan, Garrett Cleavinger and Manuel Rodriguez all went on the injured list on consecutive days earlier in the month, leaving Tampa Bay to keep patching together both the rotation and bullpen.
Wells had quickly become one of the most important bullpen arms on the roster after being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the MLB trade deadline in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Michael Forret. In 14 appearances and 18 innings, he posted a 1.50 ERA with 19 strikeouts, went 3-0, owned a 288 ERA+ and had already piled up 0.9 bWAR.
With Wells out, Kevin Cash is expected to lean on Kevin Kelly as the top right-handed option ahead of closer Bryan Baker. Cam Booser is likely first in line on the left-handed side.
The Rays could also get help from two recent additions to the bullpen, Ty Johnson and Brody Hopkins. Tampa Bay moved both of its highest-rated pitching prospects from the rotation to relief in August, got excellent results, and now has them with the major league club for the stretch run.
In Other News...
Rays Stadium Push Is Sparking A Debate Tampa Fans Didn't Expect
The latest discussion around the Rays long-running stadium push has shifted from ballpark drawings and site plans to a very different kind of local concern. The proposed project on Hillsborough Colleges North Dale Mabry campus would place the new park where a popular tennis center currently sits, and that facility has become a key part of the colleges sports footprint, serving nearly 1,200 players each week along with a range of teams and programs.
Hillsborough College and the Rays have both said they are committed to supporting tennis and helping shape future facilities, which has eased some nerves but not settled the debate. For many Tampa fans, the surprise is not just the location of the stadium itself, but the possibility that one of the campuss most active community sports spaces could be displaced as the ballpark plan moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Face A Cedric Mullins Decision As October Nears
With October approaching and a playoff berth already secured, the Rays are in the familiar position of sorting present needs against future plans. Cedric Mullins has given them a useful glove since arriving on a one-year deal, even if the bat has not come around the way the club hoped. In a race for the American League East, Tampa Bay has had enough in the outfield to keep moving, but the roster math for next season is already beginning to matter.
Mullins' contract includes a mutual option, and the expectation around the club is that the Rays will move on rather than bring him back under those terms. If that happens, Tampa Bay will likely keep looking at younger internal answers, with Jacob Melton and Theo Gillen mentioned as possibilities to fill the opening. For a team that always seems to have one eye on the standings and the other on the pipeline, the decision fits the bigger Rays pattern, even if it leaves one more outfield question hanging into the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Kelly Just Gave The Rays A Bullpen Decision To Make
Kevin Kelly needed a clean night, and he delivered one in his first appearance since a difficult outing. The right-hander struck out the side as the Rays held on for a 2-1 walk-off win over the Athletics, the kind of sharp response that can quickly change how a bullpen conversation looks inside a clubhouse.
With Tyler Wells and other relievers sidelined, Tampa Bay is still sorting through its late-season relief options, and Kellys outing gave the group a timely lift. The bigger question now is whether this was just a bounce-back moment or the start of a push for a more meaningful role as the Rays keep evaluating their bullpen picture ahead of the postseason. [Read more 🡒]