5:44PM: Ray suffered a Grade 1 pressure, Mariners supervisor Scott Servais instructed reporters (together with MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer). The staff’s plan is to close Ray down for 2 weeks after which re-evaluate after that interval of each day therapy, with a tough timeline of 4-6 weeks till Ray’s eventual return from the IL. Ray instructed media that he started to develop some flexor ache throughout the second inning of yesterday’s sport.
3:24PM: Left-hander Robbie Ray has been positioned on the Mariners’ 15-day injured listing attributable to a left flexor pressure. Southpaw Gabe Speier was known as up from Triple-A to take Ray’s spot on the lively roster.
Ray made his season debut final evening and solely lasted 3 1/3 innings, permitting 5 runs (three earned) on 4 hits and 5 walks. Even with Ray’s historical past of management points, the 5 walks might be the most important indicator that one thing wasn’t fairly proper with Ray, and he threw 91 pitches over his 3 1/3 frames of labor. The Mariners have but to publicly touch upon the severity of Ray’s damage or a potential return timeline, however it could definitely appear to be he’ll miss greater than the minimal 15 days simply out of pure warning in coping with accidents within the forearm or elbow space.
After Ray gained the AL Cy Younger Award as a member of the Blue Jays in 2021, Seattle inked him to a five-year, $115MM free agent contract within the following offseason. Ray’s first season as a Mariner wasn’t as much as the extent of his 2021 efficiency but it surely was nonetheless strong, because the southpaw posted a 3.71 ERA, 27.4% strikeout charge, and a barely below-average 8% stroll charge. Ray continued to permit quite a lot of arduous contact, however that has been the norm all through his MLB profession.
Simply three days into the 2023 season, the Mariners have already needed to deal a notable rotation damage, after getting by way of 2022 with a outstanding run of well being from its starters. Whereas the M’s have 4 off-days between in the present day and April 25, the development of their schedule means they are going to want a fifth starter in Ray’s absence, although Seattle has a really certified alternative in Chris Flexen. Commerce rumors swirled round Flexen (and Marco Gonzales) for a lot of the offseason, although the Mariners’ choice to hold onto their beginning depth is now wanting sensible in hindsight, particularly if Ray is going through any sort of prolonged absence.
Speier is now set to make his first look in a Seattle uniform, after being claimed off waivers from the Royals final November. Speier can be the one left-handed pitcher in a bullpen stacked with right-handed relievers, so Speier’s inclusion will add some steadiness to the aid combine. A veteran of 4 MLB seasons, Speier has a 3.83 ERA over 40 profession innings with the Royals, showing in somewhat sporadic trend for Kansas Metropolis since making his debut within the Present in 2019.
