Colin

Poche

Poche figures to miss the majority, if not all, of the final month of the regular season. The 30-year-old lefty has posted a solid 3.67 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 31/13 K/BB ratio across 34 1/3 innings (39 appearances) this season.

Poche returns to Tampa Bay’s high-leverage mix ahead of Saturday’s contest against the Orioles following a nearly seven-week absence due to back tightness. The 30-year-old lefty struggled in 10 relief outings prior to landing on the shelf back in late April.

Poche has been on the injured list since the end of April with tightness in the middle of his back. The 30-year-old will likely make a handful of relief appearances, and if things go well, he could be back with the Rays as a late-inning option in the middle of June.

It’s not yet clear how long the 30-year-old southpaw may be sidelined for. Manny Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move to take his place in the Rays’ bullpen. Poche’s absence could lead to additional save chances for Jason Adam and Garrett Cleavinger while Pete Fairbanks is also shelved.

With Pete Fairbanks unavailable after his struggles Wednesday, the Rays turned to Poche, and the 30-year-old southpaw was able to get the job done. It wasn’t perfect, however, as Poche gave up a pair of hits that put the go-ahead run on, but he was able to keep those runners at bay while picking up his second save of the season. If Fairbanks continues to struggle, Poche could be seeing more save chances in the coming weeks — if not sooner.

The Rays went with Poche instead of Pete Fairbanks after Fairbanks faltered Friday against the Rockies, and in turn Poche procured his first save of the 2024 season. The left-hander has been a strong component of the Tampa Bay bullpen, and while he likely won’t get many more save chances, he should provide plenty of holds who play in leagues that offer that category.

Poche notched an absurd 12 victories in relief this past season for the Rays, compiling a sparkling 2.23 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 61/24 K/BB ratio across 60 2/3 innings of work. The soon-to-be 30-year-old righty won’t reach free agency until 2026.

The left-hander came on with the score knotted at 5-5 in the top half of the ninth inning. Poche retired all three hitters that he faced in order — including a strikeout of Dylan Moore. He has been a valuable cog in the Rays’ bullpen this season — sporting an 11-3 record, 2.26 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and a 50/22 K/BB ratio across 51 2/3 innings of work in 57 appearances.

Poche came on to put out a bases-loaded, one-out fire in the bottom of the ninth inning after veteran lefty Jake Diekman got into trouble with the Rays leading by five runs at the time. He walked Bo Bichette to bring home a run before retiring pinch-hitter Ernie Clement on a sacrifice fly and coaxing a game-ending ground ball from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. It was his first save of the 2023 campaign.

Fairbanks said the forearm issue isn’t related to the finger numbness associated with Raynaud’s Syndome he’s been dealing with. He also said it’s not serious and that he expects to be back as soon as his 15 days are up. Jason Adam is probably the best Rays reliever to grab in fantasy leagues. Colin Poche could also be in the mix for saves.