Rays Starting Pitcher Was Hospitalized After Spider Bite Gave Him Knee Infection
![Ryan Pepiot Ryan Pepiot](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4877,h_2743,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/si/01j3tse3sthp2gkf5vbd.jpg)
Baseball players have been injured via bike accidents, trampoline tumbles, infected tattoos, dropping piano benches on their toes and now, spider bites. Tampa Bay Rays starter Ryan Pepiot went on the shelf after he was bit by a spider which led to a knee infection. He was hospitalized for nearly three days.
Pepiot spoke to media and said a bug bite, which was "likely" a spider caused his knee to swell up the size of a softball. He was under medical observation for 60 hours.
"I've had bug bites all the time, but never something that, like, swelled up to where I couldn't put any weight on my leg," Pepiot said to Ryan Bass.
Bass reports that Rays manager Kevin Cash said the team is still deliberating over his exact timeline and if a rehab start in the minors will come into play. He's throwing off the bullpen mound on Saturday afternoon.
Pepiot, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers that sent Tyler Glasnow westbound, is 2-1 in his last three appearances. His ERA is 3.92 this year in 17 starts.