ST. PETERSBURG — Zack Littell, who has been the most consistent member of the Rays’ rotation with 24 starts, was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to fatigue in his right shoulder.
Littell said there were some signs in his last start on Wednesday, such as a drop in speed, but no pain or signs of injury, and that the move was more of a precautionary measure.
He definitely expects to return before the end of the season and hopes it will be only a minimum stay with the possibility of returning by August 31st.
“I think it was just a good, smart decision by both sides to take the time now and not try to overdo it and cause further damage,” Littell said. “Nobody here is worried about bigger problems. I think it was just about recognizing that there were signs of some fatigue and not allowing that to develop into a bigger problem.”
This is Littell’s first season as a full-time major league starter after returning from the reliever post in 2023, and his 129 2/3 innings are his best in a season since 2018. He has an overall record of 5-8, 3.89.
“I’ve been feeling really good. My body feels really good overall. And honestly, up until recently my shoulder has felt fine,” he said. “This isn’t something where we say, ‘Oh no!’ There are no warning signs. We just thought this would be a good time to manage the workload.”
Left-hander Tyler Alexander was recalled from Triple A and will enter the rotation on Sunday, either as a starter or as a replacement for an opener. The other starters will move back a day, with Taj Bradley opening the 10-game road trip on Monday at Oakland.
Manager Kevin Cash said fatigue had “set in” in Littell’s recent starts – in which he has pitched fairly well and had a 1.19 ERA in his last four games – and it was time to address it.
“Let’s see if we can use these 15 days to get him freshened up,” Cash said. “Let him get some time to rest, then build him back up and get him back in the rotation.”
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