Struggles of Key Relief Pitcher for Rays is Concerning

Should the Tampa Bay Rays be worried about a key pitcher in the bullpen not doing well early on?

Jul 9, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash (mg) walks off the field in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays once again were unable to take a series to start the season, losing the rubber game against the Milwaukee Brewers by a score of 8-2. With the loss, there should rightfully be some concerns about a key player for the team. 

After a disappointing series against the St. Louis Cardinals, in which the Rays lost two out of three games, they followed it up with a nice win to begin their series against the Brewers. Unfortunately, despite setting the tone early in the series, they ultimately lost two straight and now have a record of 2-4. 

The offensive production was really strong for Tampa Bay against the Cardinals, but it took a significant step back against some better competition. While the team should be encouraged about some nice starts from Nick Martinez, Shane McClanahan, and Drew Rasmussen, an early major concern has to be one of their key relief pitchers. 

Struggles of Griffin Jax Are Highly Concerning

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Griffin Jax | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Coming into the year, the right-hander was expected to be one of the key pitchers for the Rays. This winter, the team elected to decline the team option on closer Pete Fairbanks, which allowed him to go to free agency. 

The right-hander was a key contributor for the bullpen in 2025, and arguably the best arm that they had. However, the franchise clearly felt that they had enough talent to replace him and that the money could have been spent elsewhere. 

One of the players that the Rays were relying on to replace his production was Jax. Unfortunately, the results so far have not been good, and he has cost the team some games already. In his first game of the year, he allowed a home run in a 9-7 loss to the Cardinals as part of a disastrous inning for the team. 

He followed that game up with another poor performance in which he had a chance to save the game for Tampa in extra innings. Ultimately, he blew his second game of the year, costing the team a win. While he did pitch a scoreless inning against the Brewers in the opener, Wednesday was a terrible performance for him. 

Jax allowed five runs, three of which were earned, on three hits and a walk in what ended up being a lopsided loss. The right-hander has now seen his ERA balloon to 22.50, which is going to take a long time to come down. Overall, while early-season struggles can happen, three bad outings out of four is a major concern for Tampa Bay. This is a franchise that is relying on him to be a key pitcher, and so far, he hasn’t been able to deliver.