‘Ready to go,’ Pete Fairbanks reinstated from IL by Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays reinstated right-hander Pete Fairbanks from the injured list Monday and optioned right-hander Chris Muller to Triple-A Durham.

Fairbanks, 29, was on the injured list for just short of two weeks with right forearm inflammation. He did not allow a run over his first eight relief appearances. The Rays’ bullpen had a 3.10 ERA at the end of April but has a 3.63 mark in 13 May games.

“I feel good, I thought the stuff was really good, and my computer validation backed up that the stuff was good,” Fairbanks told the Tampa Bay Times on Sunday. “I feel healthy. I feel ready to go. And I’m glad I kept my emotions in check.”

In 127 career appearances, eight of which were with the Texas Rangers in 2019, Fairbanks is 11-12 with a 3.25 ERA. He started two games for the Rays in 2020. Muller, 27, had his contract selected by the Rays on Friday but did not appear in a game as he awaits his major league debut. He has pitched in the Rays’ minor league system for five seasons, including the past two at Durham.

Tampa Bay has cooled from its torrid pace to open the season, but the Rays are still comfortably in first place in the American League East. Off on Monday, Tampa Bay sits at 31-11, four games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles.

Information from Reuters was used in this report.