Tampa Bay Rays Activate Zach Eflin From Injured List to Make Start Wednesday

Zach Eflin's recovery has gone according to schedule, meaning the veteran right-hander is set to return to the Tampa Bay Rays' rotation for Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins.

May 1, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin (24) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin from the 15-day injured list, the team announced Wednesday morning.

Eflin will start Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins. He had been out since May 20 due to lower back inflammation.

The 30-year-old righty threw a 40-pitch bullpen session in Toronto on Sunday, and was cleared to return to the rotation shortly after.

In order to make room for Eflin on the active 26-man roster, Tampa Bay optioned right-handed pitcher Justin Sterner to Triple-A Durham.

The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated RHP Zach Eflin from the 15-Day injured list and optioned RHP Justin Sterner to Triple-A Durham.

— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) June 5, 2024

Eflin was 3-4 with a 4.12 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.4 WAR through 10 starts before he went down. The veteran still leads the American League with 0.6 walks per nine innings and an 11.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

When Eflin first hit the injured list, manager Kevin Cash gave him a 2-to-4 week recovery timeline. It has been just 18 days since Eflin faced the Toronto Blue Jays on May 18, so he wound up coming in on the optimistic end of that spectrum.

Last season, Eflin missed two weeks in April with a similar back injury.

The Rays signed Eflin in the 2023 offseason, marking an end to his seven-year stint with the Philadelphia Phillies. His three-year, $40 million contract was the largest given to a free agent in franchise history.

Eflin led the American League in wins last season, going 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.024 WHIP, 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.5 WAR. He finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting.

Getting Eflin back in the fold is likely to take pressure off of a sporadic, thinned-out Rays rotation.

Shane McClanahan, Shane Baz, Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs are all recovering from Tommy John surgery. Tyler Alexander has been optioned to Triple-A, Taj Bradley has an ERA well over 5.00 for the second season in a row and Shawn Armstrong has only served as an opener. Even Aaron Civale – a blockbuster addition at last summer's trade deadline – has disappointed, posting a 5.37 ERA and -0.6 WAR since arriving in Tampa Bay.

Only Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot have managed to hold up the fort in Eflin's absence, combining for a 3.73 ERA, but Tampa Bay still went just 3-9 between May 19 and June 1.

First pitch between the Rays and Marlins on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET. Eflin will be facing off against Braxton Garrett, who is 2-0 with a 4.56 ERA in 2024.

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