Rays’ Jeffrey Springs To Miss “Months” with Elbow Injury
Tampa Bay Rays phenom Jeffrey Springs exited his start during the fourth inning on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox with Ulnar Neuritis in his left arm. He threw a fastball and then immediately looked down at his forearm in discomfort. The left-hander tried to shake it off but was visibly uncomfortable. Now, it’s being reported that the injury could be more than just Ulnar Neuritis.
After the immediate injury on the pitch, Springs tried to throw a warm-up pitch to see if it was still bothering him. He threw the pitch and immediately knew that he didn’t like how it felt, shaking his head in disbelief. Manager Kevin Cash removed Springs from the game.
As of Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Springs’ injury is “more than a nerve issue” and that he is expected to be out for a “minimum of two months”.
Cash said after the game that the Rays hope that Springs only has ulnar nerve irritation. Obviously, we know now that Springs’ arm could be more damaged.
The beginning of this season has been a revelation for Springs, having not allowed a run in two starts (13 innings) heading into Thursday. In fact, he had only given up three hits in total. After Thursday, his ERA sits at 0.56 through 16 innings with 24 strikeouts.
This is Springs’ third season with Tampa Bay. Last season was his first year as a starting pitcher, starting 25 games and posting a 2.43 ERA.
Meanwhile, the Rays are in the midst of history. They have now won 13 straight games to start the season, sitting at 13-0 — tied for the best start to a season in MLB history alongside the 1982 Braves and 1987 Brewers.
They just swept the Boston Red Sox and will put their incredible streak on the line against another division foe, the Toronto Blue Jays, this weekend. By the way, they’re doing this all without star pitcher Tyler Glasnow. Starter Zach Eflin was also shelved to the injured list earlier this week with back tightness.
This injury was the second strange arm injury of the game, the other by Red Sox pitcher Zack Kelly. It’s not an uncommon occurrence, but it’s unfortunate for the parties involved. Hopefully, Kelly and Springs can get back on the mound soon.
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