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Tampa Bay Rays Closer Pete Fairbanks Leaves Game, Likely to Hit IL With Lat Strain

Pete Fairbanks gave up a game-tying, three-run home run to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, just before the Tampa Bay Rays pulled their veteran closer due to injury.
Sam Connon|
Aug 18, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks (29) reacts after he gave up a 3-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Tropicana Field.
Aug 18, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks (29) reacts after he gave up a 3-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the ninth inning at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

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Tampa Bay RaysArizona Diamondbacks

Tampa Bay Rays closer Pete Fairbanks was removed from Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to injury.

As was reported by The Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, Fairbanks was seen flexing his shoulder before the Rays' training staff came out to attend to the reliever. He was ultimately pulled in favor of Garrett Cleavinger.

Manager Kevin Cash said after the game that Fairbanks would likely head to the injured list with a lat strain, per Topkin and others.

Before he got the hook, Fairbanks blew his second consecutive save in spectacular fashion.

Fairbanks entered the game with the Rays up 6-3 in the top of the ninth. He gave up a single to Jake McCarthy, then a walk to Joc Pederson that put two men on base right off the bat.

Adrian Del Castillo took advantage of the traffic on the bases, crushing a 406-foot, three-run home run to tie the score at 6-6.

Fairbanks struck out Kevin Newman and gave up a single to Geraldo Perdomo before he called a trainer out to the mound.

The 30-year-old righty is now 3-3 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, 23 saves and four blown saves on the season.

Fairbanks opened up the 2024 campaign on shaky footing, going 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA, 2.286 WHIP and .296 batting average against in March and April. Over his next 36 appearances, though, Fairbanks went 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA, 0.818 WHIP and .172 batting average against, converting on 20 of his 21 save opportunities

That hot streak came to an end this weekend, when Fairbanks gave up three hits, two earned runs and a home run against the Diamondbacks on Friday. Adding that to his implosion on Sunday, and it is clear that Fairbanks' stuff was fading ahead of his lat injury.

Fairbanks' struggles didn't sink the Rays, however, as Dylan Carlson delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning to close out Sunday's showdown. In the process, Tampa Bay completed the much-needed sweep over a red-hot Arizona squad.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer covering baseball for “Fastball on SI.’’ He previously covered UCLA Athletics for On SI’s All Bruins site, and is a UCLA graduate, with his work there as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for On SI’s New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Sam lives in Boston.

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