The San Francisco Giants acquired Robbie Ray in a trade with the Seattle Mariners in the offseason, but they knew he would miss much of the 2024 season after making just one start in 2023 and having to undergo Tommy John surgery. The left-hander made his 2024 debut on July 24, but left the team early after just his seventh start.
In the fourth inning of Sunday's game against Seattle, the trainers came out to check on Ray, and the Giant, who was in his first year, was ultimately taken off the roster. He had thrown three innings, allowing one run on one hit, three walks and four strikeouts.
The Giants said the former Cy Young Award winner had to leave the team because of a hamstring strain.
The 32-year-old said he was “hopeful” they caught it in time and he won't miss a start, but as he's never had a hamstring problem before, he's unsure of the timeframe or impact.
The good news for San Francisco is that he didn't re-injure his elbow. That's always the concern when you come back so soon after Tommy John and the team returns, and Ray has come away with yet another black eye. If Ray is confident it was caught in time, that could mean he can make his next start, but nothing will be certain until he has his MRI on Monday.
Ray's first six appearances with the Giants were a bit of an up-and-down affair. His first outing was against the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he was outstanding, allowing just one run and eight strikeouts in five innings. Then he got off to a rocky start, allowing four runs in 4.1 innings.
He rebounded and allowed just four runs in his next 11 innings before making his worst start of the year. Against the Atlanta Braves, Ray did not make it past the first inning. He was taken out of the game after recording two outs and allowing five runs.
The former All-Star then had another excellent start before getting injured in the game against his former team.
If the Giants want to continue to fight for the third Wild Card spot, Robbie Ray will be essential to their success. The pitching staff behind Logan Webb and Blake Snell is their strength, and a player with Ray's skill and experience is valuable. He would also give them tremendous depth and one of the better number 3 positions in the league.
In San Francisco, people will be eagerly awaiting the results of the MRI.
