Tampa Bay Rays Welcome Veteran Reliever Colin Poche Back From Injured List

Colin Poche, who has been a mainstay in the Tampa Bay Rays' bullpen since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2022, missed the last few weeks with left shoulder inflammation.

Jul 21, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Colin Poche (38) pitches against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. / John Jones-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated left-handed pitcher Colin Poche from the 15-day injured list, the team announced Monday afternoon.

Poche last took the mound on Aug. 27, earning a hold as the Rays went on to beat the Seattle Mariners. He was placed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation on Aug. 31, though, ultimately missing nearly three weeks of action.

That wasn't Poche's first stint on the injured list, either, as he was sidelined from April 26 to June 8 with back tightness. While he went on a minor league rehab assignment back in early June, he did not do so prior to his latest activation on Monday.

To make room for Poche on the active 28-man roster, the Rays optioned right-handed pitcher Cole Sulser to Triple-A Durham. Sulser, 34, had given Tampa Bay 11.2 scoreless innings of relief since getting recalled on Aug. 31.

The Tampa Bay Rays have reinstated LHP Colin Poche from the 15-day injured list and optioned RHP Cole Sulser to Triple-A Durham.

— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) September 16, 2024

Poche was 1-2 with a 3.67 ERA, 1.136 WHIP, 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.5 WAR before he went down last month.

The Rays initially acquired Poche as a Player to Be Named Later back in 2018, and he was named the organization's minor league reliever of the year that same season. Poche entered 2019 as the No. 17 prospect in Tampa Bay's system, making his MLB debut three months later.

Poche missed the entire 2020 and 2021 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but became a workhorse upon his return to the majors in 2022. The lefty made 65 appearances in 2022, then 66 in 2023, when he went 12-3 with a 2.33 ERA, 1.088 WHIP and 1.7 WAR.

While he has been unable to replicate that production in 2024, Poche remains an above-average reliever with plenty of experience in high-leverage roles.

Poche is likely to compete for the Rays' closer gig in the final two weeks of the regular season, considering Pete Fairbanks might miss the rest of the year with a lat strain he suffered in August. The 30-year-old southpaw is 12-for-29 in save opportunities for his MLB career, although he has managed to rack up 78 holds.

The Rays are 154-67 since 2019 when Poche takes the mound, good for a 113-win pace over 162 games.

Poche will be in the bullpen for Tampa Bay's series opener against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. First pitch for that contest is scheduled for 6:50 p.m. ET.

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