:format(webP)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/YHLREXTAUBBARMRIHT5CGKQTRE.JPG "Josh Fleming is headed to see a specialist this week amid concerns he could have a more serious elbow injury. The Rays on Saturday moved the pitcher from the 15- to the 60-day injured list.")
ST. PETERSBURG — Josh Fleming is headed to see a specialist this week amid concerns he could have a more serious elbow injury.
An initial MRI showed inflammation and cartilage build-up, and Fleming received a cortisone shot in hopes that it would alleviate the issue. But after sending the imaging to specialist Dr. Keith Meister, Fleming was summoned to Texas to be examined in person on Thursday.
“I guess there’s a little bit more concern than what we initially thought,” Fleming said. “Also, just trying to get, like, a true, true diagnosis of kind of what’s going on in there and a plan of attack.”
Fleming acknowledged that could include a ligament issue, which in a worst-case scenario could lead to Tommy John surgery.
“Possibly,” he said. “I feel like anytime Meister wants you to come to him, unfortunately. … Little bit (concerned). We’ll see. High hopes. What can you do?”
The Rays on Saturday moved Fleming from the 15- to the 60-day injured list. It wasn’t because they expect bad news as much as Fleming’s extended time being shut down would have delayed his return until around early August, even in a best-case scenario.
Plus, the Rays needed a 40-man roster spot to add Jose Lopez, a 24-year-old lefty who made his big-league debut Saturday, working two innings, allowing one run.
Lopez pitched his way from Class A Bowling Green to Triple-A Durham last year and was taken in the Rule 5 draft by San Diego but returned to the Rays at the end of spring training. He was 2-2 with a 5.19 ERA at Durham this year.
To make room on the active roster, reliever Luis Patino was optioned to Durham.
Pride day
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/BM4N4MHKVJHK7BJUKYGADUG4OE.JPG "Raymond wears a Pride flag on Pride Day before the Tampa Bay Rays compete against the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Saturday, June 10, 2023.")
The Rays held their 17th Pride celebration on Saturday, focusing on the theme that baseball is for everyone and Tropicana Field is a safe place for all.
Due to a new league-wide directive, the Rays weren’t allowed to have rainbow-colored patches on their uniforms and logos on their caps as they did last year, which sparked some controversy and extensive conversation.
“The month of June is special, certainly (Saturday) being Pride night,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We welcome our LGBTQ community; not just (Saturday), it’s an everyday thing. We want everybody to come out here and feel safe at the ballpark. And if anything that we learned last year, it spurred plenty of quality conversation that I feel more informed about now than I was maybe then.”
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Explore all your optionsBilly Bean, a former player who serves as Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, was on hand. Retired umpire Dale Scott, who came out as gay in 2014, threw out the first pitch.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/OGGWEXLUQBA3PPQDMQ7A76YFIQ.JPG "Rays manager Kevin Cash wears rainbow-colored wrist bands for Pride day Saturday at Tropicana Field.")
A big thanks
Cash opened his pregame media session thanking Janie Morales for her life-saving efforts giving CPR to a distressed fan during Friday’s game and joked that he knew someone who could get her the Randy Land tickets she had wanted on Friday for a future game. The team is likely to do more for her as well.
Miscellany
The Rays’ seven-game winning streak ended with their fourth loss by four or more runs, fewest in the majors. … The Rays were working to finalize a minor-league deal with right-hander Erasmo Ramirez, who was released by the Nationals. Ramirez, 33, had a solid 2022 season in Washington and some good days with the Rays from 2015-17. … Reliever Pete Fairbanks, working back from a left hip issue, will throw a second live batting practice session Monday at the Florida Complex League base in Sarasota and could rejoin the team soon afterward.
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