Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up
All Scores
Odds by

Rays option Brendan McKay

Brendan McKay

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 05: Brendan McKay #49 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during a game against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field on July 05, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Rays top prospect Brendan McKay is headed back to Triple-A Durham after a brief stint in the majors, the club announced Saturday. McKay’s roster spot will be taken by right-handed reliever Ian Gibaut, who is likely to make his MLB debut sometime during the weekend series against the Yankees.

It won’t be a long demotion for the talented southpaw/DH. According to comments made by manager Kevin Cash, McKay will be recalled in time for the Rays’ upcoming doubleheader after the All-Star Break. The 23-year-old McKay has proven potential at the minor-league level, but hasn’t seen enough playing time to translate those results to the majors just yet, with three runs, one walk, and six strikeouts scattered over his first 11 innings in 2019. He’s gone hitless in four at-bats as well.

In his absence, 25-year-old reliever Gibaut will step up for the Rays. MLB Pipeline ranked Gibaut no. 24 among the club’s current pool of top prospects, though like McKay, he’s also seen precious little playing time this year. Distinguished by an impressive fastball-slider-changeup combo, the righty has delivered two earned runs, eight walks, and 17 strikeouts in just 11 innings across Double-A and Triple-A so far.