Rays expect to have Pete Fairbanks back this weekend
ST. PETERSBURG — Pete Fairbanks was back at Tropicana Field on Friday night and is expected to be activated at some point this weekend against the Yankees.
“He had a good outing. We’ll take it day-to-day with him and likely over the weekend at some point,” manager Kevin Cash said.
Fairbanks has been on the injured list since April 22 with a “nerve-related” condition that led to tingling in his hand while throwing. Fairbanks said the ultimate diagnosis was nerve entrapment and was unrelated to the Raynaud’s syndrome that caused numbness in his extremities last season, mainly when pitching in cold weather.
The closer made two rehab appearances with Triple-A Durham this week, including a scoreless inning on Thursday. The 30-year-old right-hander has three saves in eight appearances this season. He also gave up eight runs, seven earned, in seven innings pitched with 10 strikeouts and eight walks.
Last season, Fairbanks allowed 13 earned runs over 45 1/3 innings. He had 25 saves and a 2.58 ERA.
We meet again
Seven years ago, Zack Littell and Nestor Cortes were both just trying to get outs and keep their spots on the Yankees’ Double-A roster. Saturday, they will be facing off against each other for the first time at Tropicana Field in an American League East rivalry game.
It’s an unlikely reunion considering Littell was in the bullpen with his seventh team until injuries gave him the opportunity to force his way into the Rays’ rotation. He has been one of their most successful starters this season with a 3.00 ERA. Cortes, a 36th-round draft pick, was traded away and then re-signed by the Yankees. He also had to work his way out of the bullpen to be an All-Star in 2022.
“I don’t like the word, but he was a grinder,” Littell said. “But that’s what he is. He didn’t throw as hard as he does now. He was doing a lot more arm-slot stuff and just doing anything he could to get outs and progress.
“We’ve sort of had the same career trajectory.”
Saturday, Littell takes an impressive streak of 27 straight innings without issuing a walk into the start against the Yankees.
“Just trying to avoid three-ball counts and not even getting close to that,” he said.
“I don’t think about it really. The plan is to go out there and attack hitters. If the streak ends, hopefully it’s me pitching around the guy and it was an international walk, but it’s just not something I am thinking about.”
Isaac Paredes OK
Third baseman Isaac Paredes made a tremendous play to throw out Jose Trevino in the ninth inning Friday and was in obvious pain on the field after. The third baseman said it just knocked the wind out of him, but Cash, who ran out to check on him with head trainer Joe Benge, admitted that it hurt the arm that already had been bothering Paredes.
“I didn’t know if he hurt himself on the dive but on the throw, he probably overextended on the throw to give it everything he had to get it over to first,” Cash said.
Cash still said he expects Paredes to be in the lineup Saturday.
Miscellany
Ryan Pepiot, who is on the injured list with a contusion on his left calf/shin, said he will try to throw off a mound on Sunday or Monday. … Brandon Lowe (right oblique strain) had a scheduled night off from his rehab assignment on Thursday night, Cash said. The infielder was removed from Friday night’s game for precautionary reasons, according to reports. ... RHP Shane Baz went 1 ⅔ innings in a rehab start for Durham on Friday, allowing three earned runs on one hit and five walks. He threw 59 pitches, 28 for strikes.
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