The Tampa Bay Rays announced that right-handed pitching prospect Peter Fairbanks has been promoted to the big leagues. Fellow right-hander Jose De Leon was optioned back to Durham in place of Fairbanks.
Fairbanks, 25, was acquired in a trade that sent fellow infielder Nick Solak from Tampa Bay to Texas.
The right-hander boasts an electric mid-to-upper ’90s fastball and a slider that flashes plus-plus at times. FanGraphs called Fairbanks an “impact relief piece,” while grading his fastball (70/70)/slider (55/55) combo as one of the best for burgeoning relief prospects across the minors.
Interestingly enough, Fairbanks started his career with a low 90’s heater and credited the increase in velocity to a change in his delivery as he rehabilitated from Tommy John surgery.
The rehab team was all on board with it. It’s happened really fast. It’s still baseball. It’s just in front of a lot more people who really care how you do. I knew if I sucked this year, I’d be released, probably.
— Peter Fairbanks
The former ninth-round draft pick has pitched to a 3.96 ERA with a whopping 14.6 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 4.87 K/BB, 0.49 HR/9 and an above-average ground-ball rate across 36-1/3 innings in Triple-A this season, and fanned 19 batters in 10-1/3 innings at Durham.
Noteworthiness
— Tyler Glasnow has been throwing from 90 feet and is scheduled for his first bullpen session on Monday.
— Both Joey Wendle and Brandon Lowe told Juan Toribio (MLB.com) that they feel better from their respective injuries and all went well in their first rehab games. They still need to play a couple more games before they will be activated from the IL.