Tampa Bay Rays Starting Pitcher Gets Much-Needed MRI Update

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin got a positive MRI update on his knee Thursday.

The following update comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Eflin could potentially make his next scheduled start Tuesday versus the Yankees after an MRI on his left knee didn't show anything overly concerning, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

ANALYSIS
Eflin was forced to exit Wednesday's loss to the Marlins with left knee discomfort, but it looks like he's avoided any serious setbacks. The right-hander has had plenty of past knee issues, but the hope is that he will merely need rest and treatment and will be able to avoid the injured list.

This is a huge sigh of relief at this point for the Rays, who are already trying to overcome the loss of Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen to season-ending injuries.

Overall this season, the 29-year-old Eflin is 11-6 with a 3.64 ERA. He's been a welcome addition to the rotation after spending seven years in Philadelphia.

Lifetime, he's 47-51 with a 4.36 ERA.

The Rays need to be at their strongest if they are going to turn their recent cold stretch around. After having the best record in baseball for most of the season, Tampa is now in second place in the American League East, trailing the Orioles by 1.5 games. The Rays have lost eight of their last 10.

They'll open up a huge series with the Houston Astros on Friday night. Houston currently trails the Rays by 3.0 games in the battle for the top wild card spot in the AL.

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