The Tampa Bay Rays claimed right-hander Jake Reed off waivers from the Dodgers on Sunday. Tampa Bay also placed right-hander Collin McHugh on the 10-Day Injured List with arm fatigue. He was replaced on the roster by southpaw Ryan Sherriff.
Reed began the season in the Angels’ minor league system, yet he was released on June 2. Two days later, the right-hander signed with the Dodgers and made his big league debut a little more than a month later.
Reed appeared in six games between July 6-18, starting one as an opener. In 5.1 innings of work, he gave up two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five. Overall, Reed maintains a 3.38 ERA and a 4.84 FIP, with a 1.31 WHIP and a 2.50 K/BB on the season.
He’s a tall Ryan Thompson-like side-armed hurler that boasts an 87-91 mph sinker and a sweeping low 80’s slider. Reed was optioned to Triple-A Durham, although given that he can be tough on right-handed hitters, he could be of use in the upcoming series against the Yankees and Red Sox.
Meanwhile, prior to the series finale with Cleveland on Sunday, the Rays placed McHugh on the Injured List.
It is uncertain exactly how long McHugh will be out, although the team does not consider this to be a sign of a serious injury.
Rays skipper Kevin Cash said the issue surfaced after McHugh made two multi-inning appearances after the All-Star Break and “the bounce-back just wasn’t quite there.”
We know that we’ve got to get him right, that’s for sure, because he’s been as valuable as anybody down there. It didn’t make a ton of sense to wait and try to push through it. So we’ll try to freshen him up and see if we can get his arm feeling better, and then get him back out there. We need him.
— Kevin Cash
McHugh has been fantastic for Tampa Bay this season, maintaining a 1.51 ERA and a 1.36 FIP across 41.2 innings (23 appearances), good for a 1.5 fWAR. He boasts a sterling 36.6% strikeout rate to just a 5.0% walk rate (a 7.32 K/BB).