The Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff took another hit Tuesday afternoon with the announcement of Chris Archer’s placement on the 10-day disabled list.
The move is retroactive to Sunday and the team reported on its official Twitter page that the right-hander is suffering from a left abdominal strain. Right-handed pitcher Diego Castillo was recalled from Triple-A Durham to replace Archer.
We have placed RH Chris Archer on the 10-day DL (retro to June 3) with a left abdominal strain.
RH Diego Castillo has been recalled from Triple-A @DurhamBulls. pic.twitter.com/2RcKqBsCND
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 5, 2018
Archer appeared to injure himself during his last start Saturday in Seattle. The MLB.com article announcing his move to the DL shows a video clip from that outing where he slips and falls to the ground after striking out Mariners first baseman Ryon Healy to end the third inning. Archer initially reported feeling groin discomfort the past couple days before today’s official diagnosis.
While Archer still stands as the team’s ace, 25-year-old southpaw Blake Snell has been its most productive pitcher through 58 games. The abdominal injury, however, does interrupt Archer’s best stretch of starts in 2018. He’s 1-1 with a 1.14 ERA over his last four outings. After finishing April with an ugly 6.61 ERA, the veteran’s managed to whittle that number down to 4.24 in seven subsequent starts.
According to Tampa Bay Times reporter Marc Topkin, Archer visited a core muscle specialist in Philadelphia yesterday. While the possibility of missing at least one start has been anticipated since the injury occurred Saturday, it grows the list of banged-up Rays pitchers.
Archer’s move to the DL comes fewer than 24 hours after the Rays announced left-handed prospect Anthony Banda will need reconstructive elbow surgery. Banda is the third up-and-coming Tampa Bay pitcher to require Tommy John surgery this year, joining Brent Honeywell and Jose De Leon.
Banda was acquired this offseason from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the three-team trade that sent outfielder Steven Souza Jr. to the desert. The 24-year-old’s spent most his time in Durham this season but did make his Rays debut last month. Banda started one of three games he appeared in and compiled a 3.68 ERA over 14 2/3 innings, striking out 10 and walking three.
Archer’s temporary replacement, Castillo, will the head to the big leagues for first time. The reliever has appeared in 19 Triple-A games this year, producing an 0-1 record with four saves and a 1.03 ERA. Castillo, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound Dominican righty, has struck out 32 batters over 26 1/3 innings and owns a 0.835 WHIP. Opposing batters are hitting just .167 against him this season.
