Rays shut down reliever with shoulder injury

The Tampa Bay Rays have been dealt another setback in their bullpen, as right-hander Edwin Uceta has been diagnosed with a subscapularis strain in his throwing shoulder, manager Kevin Cash confirmed Monday. The injury will keep Uceta out for at least 2-3 weeks, with the reliever shut down completely during that period.

Uceta had already opened the season on the injured list due to a shoulder impingement, but this latest issue is a separate injury that occurred during his rehab stint with Triple-A Durham. He had made four minor league appearances and was on track to rejoin the major league roster before the setback. Given the timeline, he is not expected to resume throwing until early May and could remain unavailable for MLB action into June. He is also a candidate to be transferred to the 60-day injured list if the Rays need a 40-man roster spot.

The loss is huge for the Rays’ bullpen. Over the past two seasons, Uceta has been one of the team’s more reliable relievers. He recorded a 1.51 ERA across 41 2/3 innings two years ago, followed by a 3.79 ERA last season while striking out nearly one-third of opposing hitters. He also tied for the team lead with 21 holds.

Uceta’s absence adds to a growing list of bullpen injuries. Garrett Cleavinger has missed three weeks with calf tightness but is nearing a return, while Mason Englert, Manuel Rodríguez, and Steven Wilson are also sidelined. As a result, Tampa Bay’s relief unit has been porous early, entering Monday with a 5.38 ERA, ranking 26th in MLB, along with the third-highest home run rate and a bottom-tier strikeout-to-walk differential.

With several front-line arms unavailable, the Rays have relied on Kevin Kelly, Griffin Jax, Bryan Baker, and Hunter Bigge, but the overall results have laid bare the strain on the pitching staff.