Rays get good news on Pete Fairbanks, and a likely short absence

CHICAGO — The Rays got good news Tuesday on the status of closer Pete Fairbanks.

An MRI showed no structural damage to the left hip that locked up on Fairbanks when he was warming up Sunday. Fairbanks was further examined by team orthopedist Dr. Koco Eaton and received a cortisone injection to treat the inflammation and discomfort.

Fairbanks will be shut down from throwing for likely a week, and assuming he responds to the rest, he could return to active duty when eligible June 12 or shortly thereafter.

That would be a positive outcome to the latest bullpen issue for the Rays, as Fairbanks has handled much of their heavy lifting, posting a 1.54 ERA in 13 games, converting five saves in six chances.

“Let’s see how he responds and then go from there,’' manager Kevin Cash said. “Everybody feels like for the way it ended on Sunday that we’re in a pretty fortunate, good spot.”

Fairbanks was on the injured list already this season, sidelined from April 30 to May 15 with inflammation in his right forearm near the wrist area.

With Fairbanks out, Jason Adam is expected to handle the de facto closer duties.

A real life experience

Joe LaSorsa’s big-league debut on Monday was plenty exciting in real time, as the 2019 18th-round pick worked two scoreless innings.

Then when he checked his phone after the game, he got a sense of how much it meant to friends and family. There were 408 messages waiting for him, from close relatives and minor-league teammates to kids with whom he played youth league ball and hadn’t heard from in years, to his first-grade teacher.

He had emotional phone calls with his parents and other relatives who had watch parties at their homes in New York. He was overwhelmed by all the congratulations — most touched, he said, by the support of his Rays minor-league teammates, as he pitched his way from Double-A Montgomery to Triple-A Durham to the majors.

And, eventually, he let it all sink in.

“When I got back to my hotel room (Monday) night, I put my phone down because it was just non-stop ringing and literally laid on my bed and stared right up at the ceiling for 30 minutes,” he said. “Literally just thinking about like, Wow, that just happened. Like all that everything that I’ve worked for my life to lead up to that moment, it happened.

“I think that, like, ‘Oh, hit me’ moment, it happened big (Monday). So I was really, really feeling it; really like soaking it in and everything. I’m like, ‘Wow, like this is happening.’”

LaSorsa sent the balls from his first out and first strikeout home for safekeeping with his brother, Matt, who was in Chicago.

Welcome back

While many of the Rays have had only limited experience playing at historic Wrigley Field, it is familiar territory for Adam, who spent parts of the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Cubs.

“I loved my time in Chicago,” he said. “I was not a great pitcher in my time in Chicago. Well, my first year I was all right. So I have good and bad memories here. But Wrigley is a special place. And there’s a lot of good guys on that team, good coaches, everyone. So I’m excited to see everybody.”

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Adam’s most special memory came on Sept. 24, 2021, when he made it back to active duty with the Cubs after sustaining a horrific dislocation of his left ankle in late May while shagging balls during batting practice with Triple-A Iowa. He was subsequently designated for assignment by the Cubs and released, then re-signed to a minor-league deal and worked his way back to the majors.

“That’s probably my fondest memory of Wrigley,” he said.

Familiar foe

Infielder Miles Mastrobuoni was a 2016 draft pick of the Rays who spent seven seasons in their system, finally reaching the majors in September 2022. He played in eight games and, with a spot on the Rays roster unlikely this season, was traded to the Cubs.

He has split time between between Chicago and Triple-A Iowa this season, but found himself in the lineup Monday against starter Taj Bradley and other former mates, going 0-for-3 with a walk.

“That was weird playing against them,” Mastrobuoni said. “I know all those guys, and hitting against Taj was really hard because we’ve grown up in the minors together and he’s one of my best friends. He got me a few times.

“I thought he threw a heck of a game. I mean, that was fun to play in. Taj was really good, but our guy (Marcus Stroman, who threw a complete-game one-hitter) was even better. He just completely dominated that game, and I know how good the Rays have been hitting.”

Miscellany

Wander Franco and Josh Lowe swiped bases Tuesday, extending to 23 the Rays’ streak of successful steals, and extending the team record, which had been 21 (done three times). .... Yandy Diaz got what Cash said was “just an off day” even though the Rays have a team day off Thursday, noting they are in a stretch of playing 16 straight days and 29 of 30. Diaz was on deck to pinch-hit in the ninth. ... Tuesday was the 18th of the last 26 Rays games to be decided by two or fewer runs, and 15th by one run. ... Cash made a rare early replay challenge, asking for a review when Franco was called out at home after an aggressive hustle play in trying to score from second as the Cubs mishandled Brandon Lowe’s infield single. After an extended review, the call stood. “I thought he was safe; I really did,” Cash said. ... LaSorsa on Monday became the 26th pitcher (not including position players) used this season by the Rays, second-most behind Oakland (27). … Pitcher Chris Muller, who was called up earlier in May but didn’t pitch, cleared waivers and was released. ... The Rays are in an odd stretch of their schedule, playing 12 games in a row with none being at the same time on consecutive days. Also, after playing 16 straight days and 29 of 30 through Wednesday, they will have two days off in a span of five (though with a scheduled Saturday doubleheader).

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