In an expected move, the Tampa Bay Rays placed closer Kyle Farnsworth on their 15-day disabled list as he continues to nurse a strained right elbow. To fill Farnsworth’s spot on their roster the Rays recalled right-hander Josh Lueke.
Rather than name a replacement for Farnsworth, Tampa Bay has decided to go with a closer-by-committee system. The three men expected to be involved in this system are Fernando Rodney, Joel Peralta and J.P. Howell.
It was confirmed Wednesday that Farnsworth is only dealing with an elbow strain, and the veteran is hoping to return to the Rays in two weeks.
Lueke was acquired by the Rays this offseason in the trade that sent catcher John Jaso to the Seattle Mariners. The 27-year-old made his major league debut last year. While Lueke’s overall numbers (6.06 ERA, 1.439 WHIP) are less than inspiring, he was extremely effective pitching out of the ‘pen for the Mariners during the second half of the season.
Over his five seasons in the minors, Lueke maintained an ERA of 3.11 to go with his 1.132 WHIP. The right-hander tallied 10.7 SO/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over that span.
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