The Tampa Bay Rays placed starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot on the 15-day injured list on Sunday due to a right knee infection diagnosed over the All-Star break that required hospitalization.
In a corresponding move, the Rays recalled right-hander Tyler Zuber from Triple-A Durham.
Pepiot, who was scheduled to start this Tuesday, went on the IL retroactive to Friday. Manager Kevin Cash said the right-hander felt some soreness in his knee, which became painful with swelling.
Pepiot, 26, was hospitalized on Saturday at Columbia University Medical Center in New York and treated with antibiotics and IVs, Cash said.
“He’s totally fine and doing well on the progress end, but probably going to take some time to get all that inflammation out of there,” Cash said.
Pepiot was obtained by the Rays last December in a trade sending right-hander Tyler Glasnow to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pepiot is 6-5 with a 3.92 ERA, 31 walks and 94 strikeouts in 87 1/3 innings over 17 starts.
Pepiot is 11-6 with a 3.37 ERA, 63 walks and 174 strikeouts in 165 2/3 innings over 34 games (27 starts) in parts of three seasons with the Dodgers (2022-23) and Rays.
Zuber, 29, has not pitched at the major league level since the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, when he was a combined 1-5 with a 5.29 ERA, 37 walks and 55 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings over 54 relief appearances.
He is 3-0 with four saves, a 2.49 ERA, six walks and 29 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings over 18 relief appearances at Triple-A.
–Field Level Media