Tampa Bay Rays’ Closer Pete Fairbanks Placed on 15-Day IL Due to Nerve-Related Issues; Reliever Kevin Kelly Called Up to Fill Spot

Over the weekend, the Tampa Bay Rays placed closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list due to nerve-related issues. The decision was made after Fairbanks experienced discomfort while playing catch on Saturday and received treatment throughout the day, but the problem persisted before their game against the Detroit Tigers.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash explained that Fairbanks has been dealing with numbness in his fingers on and off for the past few years, and this issue resurfaced over the weekend. Cash mentioned that Fairbanks underwent some tests on his shoulder and arm, with more testing scheduled to help identify the root of the problem.

With Fairbanks out, the Rays called up reliever Kevin Kelly from Triple-A Durham to fill his roster spot. In his absence, Kelly will take over as the team’s closer role based on matchups. The Rays plan to rotate different pitchers like Colin Poche, Jason Adam, Shawn Armstrong, and Garrett Cleavinger in this new role.

Fairbanks has struggled this season, posting a 9.00 ERA in eight games and allowing eight runs in seven innings. The team will continue to investigate this issue by running imaging tests from Fairbanks’ neck down to his fingers to help identify what is causing this persistent pain in his hand.