The Tampa Bay Rays brought back left-hander Colin Poche from the 15-day injured list on Saturday, as he has recuperated from mid-back tightness. In a corresponding move, left-hander Richard Lovelady was placed on the 15-day IL due to a left forearm flexor strain.
Poche, aged 30, had his last game on April 23, accumulating a record of 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA, three walks, and six strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings across 10 relief appearances. He was put on the IL on April 26, retroactively effective from April 24, and later underwent a rehab stint with Triple-A Durham.
Manager Kevin Cash stated that after pitching on Tuesday and Thursday, Poche was slated for another outing over the weekend before returning to Tampa Bay to take Lovelady’s spot.
In his tenure with Tampa Bay (2019, 2022-24), Poche has amassed a record of 21-11 with 12 saves, holding a 3.74 ERA, 68 walks, and 203 strikeouts across 180 1/3 innings spread over 192 relief appearances.
Lovelady, aged 28, last played on Friday, contributing a nine-pitch, one-strikeout, scoreless inning in Tampa Bay’s 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Lovelady was acquired by the Rays from the Chicago Cubs on May 18 in exchange for minor league left-hander Jeff Belge. This season, he has a record of 2-3 with a 7.36 ERA, registering one walk and six strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings across eight relief appearances for the Rays. Prior to joining the Rays, he posted a record of 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 5 2/3 innings across seven appearances for the Cubs.
Throughout his career with the Kansas City Royals (2019-21), Oakland Athletics (2023), Cubs, and Rays, Lovelady has accumulated a record of 4-10 with one save, holding a 5.65 ERA, along with 28 walks and 76 strikeouts in 78 innings spread over 88 relief appearances.
