Garrett

Cleavinger

Bryan Baker and Kevin Kelly had the day off after pitching both Monday and Tuesday. Cleavinger got the ninth as a result. He gave up a solo homer to Caleb Durbin, but he had a three-run cushion to work with. He has a 4.70 ERA and eight holds over 17 appearances in his setup role.

With Bryan Baker having thrown on back-to-back days, the Rays turned to Cole Sulser to protect a one-run lead on Tuesday, and he did without allowing a baserunner to pick up his second save of the season. What’s interesting here is that Garrett Cleavinger hadn’t thrown since Saturday, and the Blue Jays started the inning with a left-handed hitter and a switch-hitter. Perhaps they’re not ready for Cleavinger to step back into late-inning situations so soon after returning from the IL, or maybe Sulser has simply leapfrogged him in the peaking order, but the 36-year-old Sulser appears to be next in line behind Baker for saves.

Cleavinger returns to Tampa Bay’s high-leverage mix after missing five weeks at the outset of the season recovering from a calf strain. The 32-year-old southpaw figures to operate in a setup capacity behind closer Bryan Baker, but could wind up vulturing the occasional save in certain matchups.

Cleavinger only threw five pitches in this outing, all strikes, but it also marked his second night of back-to-back appearances. That was allegedly the final hurdle he needed to clear before rejoining the Rays’ bullpen, so that could happen as early as this weekend.

Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters Cleavinger will make a couple additional rehab appearances for Triple-A Durham before rejoining Tampa Bay’s high-leverage mix. The 32-year-old lefty has been on the shelf since early April recovering from a right calf strain

The left-hander threw just 10 of his 20 pitches for strikes and was lifted before being able to finish the inning. His velocity was good, with his four-seam fastball sitting 95.8 mph, so this is simply about shaking off the rust. He should return to high leverage innings shortly after returning to Tampa Bay.

Cleavinger took over with a one-run lead in the sixth inning and proceeded to walk the first two hitters that he faced before serving up a three-run blast to Jhonkensy Noel. He then issued another walk before mercifully turning the ball over to the bullpen. The Rays are going to want to see him throw strikes consistently before bringing him back.

It doesn’t seem to be a long-term concern for the left-hander, but he will be out for at least the next two weeks. With Griffin Jax struggling, this could increase the chances that Bryan Baker gets the next save opportunity for Tampa Bay.

Kelly got the call to protect a one-run lead in the ninth inning with a runner on first base after southpaw Ian Seymour retired left-handed batters Garrett Mitchell and David Hamilton. He managed to retire pinch-hitter Blake Perkins on a harmless ground ball to extinguish the threat and preserve the victory. Griffin Jax looked sharp while working a scoreless seventh inning of a tie ballgame while Garrett Cleavinger got the eighth. We’re anticipating the Rays continue deploying a closer-by-committee approach, which makes it a virtually stay-away fantasy-wise.

Uceta will be cutting close, barring any additional setbacks, from a ramp-up standpoint to be ready for next month’s Opening Day contest. However, this latest update qualifies as an extremely encouraging one for the high-leverage specialist. He received a cortisone injection to address the swelling in his ailing right shoulder but doesn’t appear to be dealing with any structural damage that likely would’ve required surgery. The 28-year-old will be in the mix for save opportunities alongside Griffin Jax and Garrett Cleavinger in Tampa Bay this season.