Also, newcomer Fairchild to IL.
After last night’s frustrating loss to the White Sox, the Rays have elected to option Taj Bradley to the minors to work on further developing his pitch mix, which is currently a little lacking on an effective third choice.
The Rays could have swapped his role with Joe Boyle, the team’s sixth starter who joined the major league side to take some of the innings off Rasmussen’s work load as he works toward a full season of starting post injury.
Cash after the game said Taj handled the news with accountability and like a pro, something Ryan Bass reiterated here:
#Rays Taj Bradley couldn’t have been more gracious in the clubhouse, handling his demotion like a pro. Here he is, in his own words, on getting optioned to Durham. pic.twitter.com/uyKHHTDSme
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) July 24, 2025
Bradley is not the first Rays pitcher with promise to be optioned to work on his pitch mix in the safety of Triple-A, with Blake Snell being the most famous example. Bradley has a 4.61 ERA / 4.20 FIP with an uncharacteristic 20% strikeout rate after 21 games this season.
Boyle is expected to step into Bradley’s role in the rotation.
On a minor note, local kid Joey Krehbiel was picked up by the Royals for cash considerations. He was pitching for the Rays Triple-A bullpen but was not on the 40-man roster. This was his second stint in the Tampa Bay system, where he’s made exactly one appearance (Sept 18, 2021) for the club.
Finally, recently acquired outfielder Stuart Fairchild showed up to the Rays and felt something in his oblique warming up in the batting cage on Tuesday, so he will go immediately to the injured list. Tough news for anyone hoping to see if he’d challenge Morel for a spot on the roster heading up to the 2025 Trade Deadline.