Rays Make Roster Moves Ahead of Return From All-Star Break

The move comes a day before Tampa Bay (50-47) returns from the All-Star break to face the Baltimore Orioles (43-52) in a three-game series at home. Bigge, who was hospitalized after being struck in the face by a foul ball against Baltimore on July 19, continues to recover from surgery to repair facial fractures resulting from the incident. 

Selected by the Seattle Mariners with the 238th pick (eighth round) in the 2018 MLB Draft, Gerber, 28, made his MLB debut with Seattle on Aug. 4, 2020. In 17 games with the Mariners during the COVID-19 shortened season, he logged a 4.02 ERA with six strikeouts while allowing 13 hits, seven earned runs and five walks in 15,2 innings of work. On June 21, 2022, Seattle released Gerber.

The following month, the New York Yankees signed Gerber to a minor league contract. The Illinois product spent the next two years in New York’s minor league system before electing free agency last November and signing a minor league deal with the Rays on Dec. 13, 2024.

Gerber has dealt with a litany of injuries throughout his career that have cost him several seasons. He missed all of 2021 due to a herniated disc that eventually led to back surgery. Subsequently, 2022 and 2023 were lost to a forearm injury that led to Tommy John surgery.

After five years away from an MLB mound, Gerber looks to make his return with Tampa Bay. In 18 games with Durham, Gerber is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA while striking out 31 batters and allowing 14 earned runs in 25.2 innings.

After flirting with first place in the American League East at the end of June, the Rays stumbled into the All-Star break, going 3-9 to begin July and falling to fourth place in the division. Now 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place, the Blue Jays look to get back in the win column on Friday at 7:35 p.m. ET when they begin a six-game homestand with the Orioles.