LHP Robbie Ray; Will Have Surgery to Rehabilitate His Flexor Tendon
The image is grabbed from video.
According to manager Scott Servais, starting pitcher Robbie Ray of the Seattle Mariners will miss the rest of the season because of surgery to repair a flexor tendon.
On March 31, 2023, against the Cleveland Guardians, Ray went 3.1 innings while giving up five runs (three of them earned), four hits, and five walks. According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, he received an MRI the morning following the game and was placed on the disabled list after imaging indicated a Grade 1 flexor strain.
When Ray informed the media on April 18 that the injury had progressed well, there was some skepticism. The flexor tendon, according to Divish, was damaged in a separate location after more tests.
With the Toronto Blue Jays, Ray earned the American League Cy Young Award in 2021 after recording an MLB-high 248 strikeouts, an American League-best 2.84 ERA, and a 1.05 WHIP. Then, after signing a five-year, $115 million contract in free agency, he moved from Toronto to Seattle.
In 2022, the Southpaw, then age 31, had a 12-12 record and a 3.71 ERA (1.19 WHIP). Nevertheless, in 189.0 innings, he struck out 212 batters.
Ray’s loss is a hard blow for a Mariners club with an 11-12 record thus far. Outside of Ray, Seattle still has a good rotation, with four of its starting five pitchers sporting ERAs of 3.57 or lower. Ray’s replacement, Chris Flexen, has a 0-4 record and an 8.86 ERA.
Flexen might potentially turn things around. He played 64 games (53 starts) in the previous two seasons with a 3.66 ERA.
But the Mariners are facing other problems. Specifically, the offense still needs to get things started. The squad is seventh in the AL with a.686 OPS and 24 home runs.
Ray will be a massive loss as Seattle tries to make the playoffs again, even if plenty of time remains.
