Tampa Bay Rays activate RHP Pete Fairbanks, place RHP Diego Castillo on IL
Musical chairs on the Rays pitching staff
The Tampa Bay Rays have made another roster move regarding their ever-changing pitching staff as they have placed Diego Castillo on the Injured List, retroactive to May 4th, due to ‘right-groin tightness’.
Taking Castillo’s place on the active roster is right-handed pitcher Pete Fairbanks. After starting out the season as a high leverage arm for the Rays in their bullpen, Fairbanks quickly found himself placed on the Injured List due to a strained rotator cuff; the dependable Fairbanks had only appeared in three games for Tampa Bay before going on the shelf on April 9th.
Fairbanks established himself as one of the Rays top bullpen arms during the 2020 season, racking up a 33.3% strikeout rate over 27 appearances, followed up with a 31.5% mark over 9 postseason games.
As they add Fairbanks, the Rays are losing the pitcher who has served as their closer thus far during the 2021 season, Diego Castillo.
It’s been a busy season for Castillo as he has appeared in 14 of the team’s 31 games thus far, allowing five runs over 14 1⁄3 innings pitched, with an impressive 34.5% strikeout percentage.
Fairbanks will join the team for tonight’s finale against the Los Angeles Angels as the Rays will look for the series sweep.