Rays Rotation Being Stabilized by Unlikely Starting Pitcher

Jun 20, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ian Seymour (61) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals in the first inning at Tropicana Field. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Rays Rotation Being Stabilized by Unlikely Starting Pitcher

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Rays on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Jun 27, 2026 7:00 AM ET

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Things have not gone according to plan for the Tampa Bay Rays when it comes to their starting rotation.

After dealing with zero injuries to starting pitchers in 2025, the script has unfortunately been flipped. Ryan Pepiot, who made 31 starts last year, won’t pitch this season because of a hip ailment.

His replacement, Joe Boyle, went on the injured list after three starts and has been ineffective with Triple-A Durham. Steven Matz was removed from the rotation after struggles following his own return from the injured list, and is back on the sidelines after some rough outings out of the bullpen.

Despite so many obstacles, the Rays have persevered with one of the best starting rotations in baseball. Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez have been great, but recently, it is Ian Seymour who has helped answer the call.

Ian Seymour stepping up for Rays in rotation

When Matz was removed from the rotation, it was Seymour whom the team called upon to replace him. A former starting pitcher who was operating as a reliever, he is the second player Tampa Bay opted to change roles for and stretch out midseason, following Griffin Jax.

Just like Jax, Seymour is finding is groove and helping save the Rays' rotation. In his last start, he dominated the Kansas City Royals as the bulk inning pitcher behind opener Casey Legumina, firing 6.2 hitless innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Ian Seymour threw 6.2 hitless innings in relief. Per the Tampa Bay Rays, he is the third MLB pitcher since 1980 to accomplish that feat. Félix Peña (2019) and Jake Westbrook (2004) are the others. #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/8hCyBAaa4f
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) June 25, 2026

As shared by Evan Closky on X, he is the third pitcher since 1980 to throw at least that many innings as a reliever in one appearance without allowing a hit, joining Felix Pena in 2019 and Jake Westbrook in 2004.

Everything was clicking for him in his fourth appearance as part of the team’s rotation. He has excelled since the role change, pitching 19 innings, allowing 10 hits and five walks that resulted in six earned runs, which comes out to a 2.84 ERA. On top of that, he has struck out 19 batters as well.

Hopefully, this is something that Seymour can keep up. Tampa Bay certainly needs it, as its starting pitching depth has been tested from Day 1 of the 2026 season.

Ian Seymour tossed 6.2 no-hit innings en route to a dominant @RaysBaseball win!

He joins #MLBTonight to talk about the outing, coming in after an opener and more. https://t.co/wD9zzfFbD1 pic.twitter.com/hvOqdLNOO4
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 25, 2026

It will certainly be interesting to see how the Rays' front office operates ahead of the MLB trade deadline. Some starting pitching depth is certainly needed, but they definitely don’t have to overpay for a backend rental with how well Seymour and Jax are holding things down.

If Tampa Bay makes a move, it should be to improve its playoff rotation, not just someone to eat innings to get through the summer. That looks to be a job that Seymour is more than capable of handling.

This article first appeared on Tampa Bay Rays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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