Glasnow shut down two weeks, season at risk
NEW YORK -- When Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list with a right forearm strain on May 10, the Rays were optimistic they would get the right-hander back at some point this season. After seeing a doctor on Monday, that optimism seems to be have lessened.
Glasnow, who was shut down for three weeks after suffering a setback during a throwing session in his rehab last month, visited a doctor Monday to see if he could get cleared to begin throwing. The visit went well for Glasnow, as the results showed no new issues, but the Rays will remain cautious with the right-hander, shutting him down from throwing activities for another two weeks.
“He went and saw the doctor and everything was really, really good,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “Very encouraged, but we’re going to take the slower route and shut him down for two more weeks and then we’ll look to throw him back into the equation from today to 14 days from now.”
Because Glasnow will be shut down for two more weeks, his return this season is now in question. The Rays would like to give him enough time to build back up as a starter before bringing him back into the thick of what the club hopes is a playoff race.
“I really don’t know,” Cash said, when asked if he thought Glasnow would pitch again this season. “I certainly hope that’s our mindset, but I know how much we care about him and his future with us that we’ll just wait and see how time plays out and if there’s enough time to build him back up.”
With the uncertainty surrounding Glasnow’s status, the Rays will have to make a decision with their rotation moving forward. Blake Snell, Charlie Morton and Yonny Chirinos have been consistent options for the club this season, with Brendan McKay establishing himself as a quality fourth option in the rotation. However, the Rays are also remaining cautious with McKay, who has already thrown a career-high 82 2/3 innings.
The team could choose to go with in-house options such as Ryan Yarbrough and Jalen Beeks to fill the fifth spot, or it could look to make a trade with the July 31 Trade Deadline just over two weeks away.
Either way, the Rays will have to manage without Glasnow until at least September.
Lowe getting some looks at third base
Nate Lowe, who was named American League Player of the Week after hitting .471 (8-for-17) with three home runs and seven RBIs in four games against Baltimore, took some ground balls at third base before the series opener against the Yankees.
Lowe will mostly play first base and serve as the team’s designated hitter, but Tampa Bay wants to see if Lowe can serve as a late-inning third baseman when needed.
“I want to see what he looks like over there,” Cash said. “He played there in [Triple-A] Durham maybe a game or a couple of innings, but just to get more versatility to us. We’re an injury from exploring that. Maybe he’s a late-game situation where we have that flexibility that if he’s at first, shift him over to third, we might look to do that.”
Injury updates
Matt Duffy continued his rehab assignment on Monday and was scheduled to play all nine innings at third base for Triple-A Durham. Duffy, who has been dealing with left hamstring tightness since Spring Training, could make his season debut in the near future.
He entered Monday’s game batting .190 (4-for-21) with two doubles and seven RBIs in six games between the Rookie-level GCL Rays and Durham.
Left-hander Anthony Banda (Tommy John) also continued his rehab assignment on Sunday, throwing 35 pitches. He allowed one run and two hits over three innings of work against Triple-A Norfolk, the Orioles’ affiliate.