Rays make swap of injured starters

The Rays have made a swap of starters, with right-hander Ryan Pepiot placed on the 15-day injured list, while Taj Bradley has been reinstated from the IL and will start Friday’s game. The moves were relayed on X by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Pepiot was hit on the leg by a comebacker on Sunday. A CT scan returned negative for any fractures, but the club will give him some time on the injured list anyway, presumably to get over any soreness or swelling he’s currently experiencing.

It’s an unfortunate development for the Rays, as Pepiot was out to a strong start to the year. Acquired from the Dodgers as part of the Tyler Glasnow trade, Pepiot has made seven starts with a 3.68 earned run average. He has struck out 29.1% of batters faced while walking 7.8% of them.

Rotation health has been an ongoing concern in Tampa for quite a while. Shane Baz, Shane McClanahan, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen are all on the injured list after undergoing elbow surgeries last year, or 2022 in the case of Baz. Jacob Waguespack is also on the IL due to a strained shoulder, while Bradley was there due to a strained pectoral.

Bradley now swapping in for Pepiot makes this a neutral move in a sense, though Bradley’s results haven’t been as strong as Pepiot’s thus far. He had a 5.59 ERA in 104 2/3 innings for the Rays last year. His 28% strikeout rate was strong, and his 8.5% walk rate was around average, but he allowed 23 home runs.

The rotation will now consist of Zach Eflin, Zack Littell, Aaron Civale, Tyler Alexander and Bradley, at least until Pepiot heals up. Bradley still has options and could perhaps be sent back to the minors later in the year, though the club will have other choices available. Civale has a 6.14 ERA while Alexander is at 4.96 and both of them are optionable as well.