Doc confirms no structural damage for Archer

ST. PETERSBURG -- An examination of Chris Archer's right arm Monday revealed no structural damage, and the Rays pitcher will be re-evaluated after playing catch Tuesday.
Dr. Koco Eaton confirmed the initial diagnosis given to Archer, who is dealing with right lateral forearm tightness.
Archer exited Saturday's game vs. the White Sox after surrendering back-to-back homers to Alen Hanson and Yolmer Sánchez to begin the contest. He said he felt tightness in this arm during his pregame bullpen session, and summoned trainers to the mound just eight pitches into his start.
While the results of the examination are encouraging, Archer's next scheduled start Friday is still in jeopardy.
"I think that's probably a long shot," manager Kevin Cash said. "We're not going to rule anything out quite yet, but I think it's a long shot. He'll play catch tomorrow, we'll see how he feels, and then we'll probably put our heads together and see what the best-case scenario is for him."
Archer has struck out 225 batters this year, third in the Majors behind Chris Sale (270) and Max Scherzer (232). The righty rarely misses action; he's tied for the MLB lead with 29 starts this year, and no pitcher has more than his 128 starts over the past four seasons. Archer's Fielding Independent Pitching mark of 3.32 is a top-10 figure in the Majors this year.