Left hand issue likely to send Reed to IL

Left-hander Cody Reed is likely headed to the injured list after exiting in the eighth inning of the Rays’ 13-6 win against the Orioles on Tuesday night in Baltimore.

Reed’s outing began well enough, as he took the mound to begin the eighth and struck out Maikel Franco and Freddy Galvis on a combined nine pitches. But he then walked Ryan Mountcastle on four pitches and Chance Sisco on five, prompting a visit from Rays manager Kevin Cash and a trainer. Reed then left the game.

Cash said Reed felt something similar to an issue he has previously dealt with: numbness and weakness in his left hand that sidelined him after he joined Tampa Bay last August and again in late April.

Reed went on the 10-day injured list on April 20, retroactive to April 17, and returned two weeks later after receiving a Botox injection. He was reinstated on May 1, pitched a clean inning that day and made five more appearances without incident before the issue popped up again Tuesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

“We can all imagine it's probably pretty tough to pitch and certainly command the baseball if you're not feeling your fingertips or your hand, and I think that's the case,” Cash said afterward.

Cash said he expects Reed will be evaluated by doctors and that he's likely to land on the IL. The Rays have a handful of relief options at Triple-A Durham who are on their 40-man roster and have already been up this season, including Louis Head, Brent Honeywell Jr., Trevor Richards and Ryan Sherriff.