After winning 14 times in their first 18 games, the Tampa Bay Rays hit a bit of a rough patch over the weekend. They were swept in three games at home by the Red Sox and have lost four straight games overall. Some Twitter gloating last week isn't looking so hot all of a sudden.
The Rays are 0-3 since that tweet. The four-game losing streak combined with the depleted Yankees winning five times in their last six games means Tampa's lead in the AL East is only 2 1/2 games despite that torrid start. It is a long, long season folks.
Because getting swept and losing four straight games wasn't bad enough, the Rays also lost breakout youngster Austin Meadows to a thumb injury over the weekend. He suffered the injury sliding into third base Saturday and was placed on the injured list Sunday. The good news? Meadows does not need surgery. He'll still be down several weeks, however.
#Rays GM Erik Neander said on @953WDAE that “hopefully we’re talking a few weeks” for Austin Meadows’ absence due to right thumb injury, and not longer.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 22, 2019
Meadows, 23, came over from the Pirates in the Chris Archer trade last year, and hit a robust .351/.422/.676 with six home runs in 20 games before the thumb injury. He wasn't just Tampa Bay's most productive player, Meadows was one of the best players in all of baseball in the early going. Now his breakout season will be put on hold.
The Rays lost ace and reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell to a fluke broken toe last week (he dropped a piece of furniture on his toe) and he's already missed one start, which resulted in a loss. Snell is expected to miss at least one more start as well. As Tommy Rancel of The Athletic explains, the Snell injury puts a greater burden on the rest of the pitching staff. From Rancel:
The best pitching chains are relatively short and strong. In an ideal world, Blake Snell goes seven innings and passes the baton to (Diego) Castillo and (Jose) Alvarado in some order. The real world does not work that way, however, and because of their philosophy (the opener and third-time limitations), the Rays often leave themselves open to longer chaining and more opportunities for a misstep — even a small one — along the way.
In fact, after Yonny Chirinos makes a traditional start on Monday, two openers will follow on Tuesday and Wednesday. This means the bullpen — coming off heavy usage — will have a larger workload to manage unless someone exceeds expectations.
The Rays are still a very good run prevention team without Snell -- Tampa has posted a solid 3.90 ERA in seven games since his last start -- but he's a true difference-maker and the closest thing they have to an innings-eater as well, which spares the bullpen for opener days. The longer he is out, the greater the impact on the rest of the staff.
Add the Meadows injury on top of that, and suddenly the Rays are without their best pitcher and arguably their best hitter. Injuries are part of baseball and the Rays are not looking for sympathy. Not when the team closest to them in the AL East has 13 players on the injured list. Next man up isn't the best option, it's the only option.
The Rays will be without breakout outfielder Austin Meadows for a few weeks.
USATSI
The Rays have a favorable upcoming schedule -- they'll play 10 of their next 13 games against the Royals and Orioles -- which will soften the blow with Snell and Meadows out. With any luck, Snell will be back within the next week and players like Brandon Lowe, Avisail Garcia, and Guillermo Heredia can adequately replace Meadows in right field.
As good as they are, the Rays were never going to maintain their early season pace -- they were on pace for 126 wins prior to this four-game losing streak and nooope -- and adversity was inevitable. Every team deals with it and the teams that best deal with it are left standing at the end of the regular season. This is part of the 162-game marathon.
Winning 14 times in 22 games is as good a start to the season as any team could expect. For now, the Rays have to self-correct a bit following their tough weekend and four-game losing streak, and figure out a way to get by until Snell and eventually Meadows return.
