A night after walking five batters and lasting 3 1/3 innings against the Cleveland Guardians, Mariners pitcher Robbie Ray landed on the 15-day injured list with a Grade 1 left flexor strain. Here’s what you need to know:
- Ray, who in December of 2021 signed a five-year, $115 million deal with the team, specifically struggled with his fastball command Friday.
- Making his first start of the season, he was coming off an electric spring where he earned raved reviews from manager Scott Servais for his preparedness and strong mid-90’s velocity.
- Ray, who won the American League Cy Young Award in 2021 while with the Blue Jays, had a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings in the spring with 26 strikeouts.
- The Mariners recalled left-handed reliever Gabe Speier from Triple-A Tacoma to take Ray’s place on the active roster.
What Servais is saying
Ray will be shut down from throwing for a minimum of two weeks and then he’ll begin to play catch and build back up, according to Servais. Servais confirmed that Ray had an MRI.
“It’s certainly disappointing with the spring that he had. He was probably about as good as we’ve seen him at any point,” Servais said. “I think, all things considered, when you go in and it’s a forearm issue, there’s going to be something that shows up. I won’t say it’s the best-case scenario but it’s about as good as you can hope for … It’s fortunate for us that we have Chris Flexen and it’s certainly why you hang on to guys. That’s why you have depth. Hopefully we’ll get Robbie back as soon as possible.”
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What this means for Ray
All signs were certainly pointing toward a positive season for Ray following a strong performance in spring training. Unlike last spring because of the lockout, Ray had a full winter to prepare for spring and reported to camp in great shape. The bump in velocity was notable and his secondary pitches looked sharp, including the new splitter he added during camp.
Ray figured to help anchor a rotation that ranked among the best in the big leagues with Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Marco Gonzales.
Who fills in?
The fill-in for Ray in the rotation will be Chris Flexen, who allowed one earned run in four innings of relief on Friday.
Two years ago, Mariners pitcher Marco Gonzales missed a month with a similar injury. In some cases, though, a flexor strain is a precursor to Tommy John surgery for some pitchers.
A year ago, the Mariners didn’t have a single starting pitcher missed time on the injured list — including Ray, who made all 32 of his starts. This was a big reason why the team won 90 games in the regular season and advanced to the postseason for the first time in two decades.
Required reading
(Photo: Matt Kartozian / USA Today)
