What happened to Edwin Uceta? Rays provide bleak update on 1.51 ERA reliever originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tampa Bay Rays will be without one of their best relievers for at least a month.
According to MLB.com's Adam Berry, Rays manager Kevin Cash informed reporters that right-handed reliever Edwin Uceta was diagnosed with a right subscapularis strain during his rehab assignment.
Uceta, who posted a 1.51 ERA in 30 games during a breakout season for the Rays in 2024, began the year on the injured list due to a shoulder impingement.
"Uceta, who has been injured since the beginning of Spring Training, will be shut down from throwing for two to three weeks," Berry wrote Monday. "That means he is likely at least four to six weeks away from potentially being able to pitch in the Majors."
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That's obviously not ideal news for the Rays, who are trying to keep pace in the competitive AL East. Uceta was on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Durham and recorded three strikeouts in 1.1 innings in his first outing.
Uceta has All-Star potential when healthy. His 32.1% strikeout rate ranked in the 94th percentile in 2025, and he often gets batters to chase outside the zone (33.3% chase rate).
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