Division Rival Places Former Red Sox Pitcher On Injured List

Division Rival Places Former Red Sox Pitcher On Injured List originally appeared on NESN.
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Several former Boston Red Sox pitchers are flourishing this season, but one hasn’t enjoyed the same success for an American League East competitor.

The Tampa Bay Rays placed Steven Matz on the 15-day injured list on Thursday, retroactive to Wednesday, with a left ankle sprain. They recalled Michael Grove from Triple-A Durham to take his spot on the active roster.

Boston acquired Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals before last year’s trade deadline, and the left-hander helped the bullpen by posting a 2.08 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. The former second-round pick parlayed the bounce-back season into a two-year, $15 million deal with the Rays.

After spending most of 2025 as a reliever, Matz reclaimed a rotation role. He recorded a 5.48 ERA in 10 starts, allowing five of nine home runs the first time through the batting order.

Matz didn’t fare better when returning to the bullpen earlier this month. The 35-year-old relinquished 10 runs and a .344/.371/.594 opposing slash line in seven innings, serving up a three-run homer to Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela on June 10.

The Kansas City Royals smoked Matz for five runs over two innings in his last appearance on Tuesday. Opponents slugged .857 off Matz in June, tattooing him to 15 runs in 8 2/3 innings.

Tampa Bay will replace Matz with Grove, who issued a 5.48 ERA in three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 29-year-old hasn’t pitched in a major league game since 2024.

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