Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin is on the brink of making his return to the active roster, as confirmed by the veteran right-hander himself to Bally Sports’ Ryan Bass on Sunday.
Eflin, who has been sidelined since May 20 due to lower back inflammation, completed a 40-pitch bullpen session over the weekend during the Rays’ road series against the Baltimore Orioles. With no setbacks reported, Eflin could potentially rejoin the Rays’ starting rotation as early as Wednesday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins.
“Felt good…ready to go,” Eflin stated, according to Bass. “I checked all of the boxes that I need to get back.”
#Rays Zach Eflin just threw a 40-pitch bullpen session here in Baltimore, with no issues: "Felt good…ready to go," he said. "I checked all of the boxes that I need to to get back." He could start on Wednesday vs. the #Marlins, but there's no set plan yet.
He's hated not being…
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) June 2, 2024
Initially given a recovery timeline of 2-to-4 weeks by manager Kevin Cash when Eflin first landed on the injured list, it has only been 15 days since his last appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 18, suggesting he may be ahead of schedule.
Before his injury, Eflin posted a 3-4 record with a 4.12 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and a 0.4 WAR across 10 starts. Notably, he leads the AL with 0.6 walks per nine innings and an 11.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Eflin had previously experienced a similar back injury that caused him to miss two weeks in April last season.
Signed by the Rays during the 2023 offseason, ending his seven-year tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies, Eflin’s three-year, $40 million contract marked the largest free-agent deal in franchise history.
His return is eagerly anticipated by the Rays, especially given their 3-9 record since his last outing. With several pitchers like Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen, and Jeffrey Springs still recovering from Tommy John surgery, the Rays have been in need of reliable options in Eflin’s absence.
Although pitchers like Tyler Alexander, Taj Bradley, and Shawn Armstrong have had their opportunities, they have struggled to consistently perform. Even Aaron Civale, acquired during last summer’s trade deadline, has not met expectations, posting a 5.37 ERA and -0.6 WAR since joining the Rays.
While Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot have provided stability with a combined 3.64 ERA in 20 starts, the team is in need of reinforcements.
Eflin is eligible to be activated from the injured list on Monday, just in time for the Rays’ upcoming two-game series against the Marlins starting on Tuesday.
