The Tampa Bay Rays’ playoff push is taking a hit for the month of August.
Ace pitcher Blake Snell will undergo arthroscopic surgery this coming weekend, according to The Athletic. The procedure is expected to keep Snell from pitching for at least four weeks, the surgery will remove a loose body from his left elbow. The injury to Snell’s throwing arm is his second this season after he missed two starts in April following a freak toe injury.
Snell won the American League’s Cy Young Award last season after putting together a record campaign. Over a career-high 180.2 innings, posting a 1.89 ERA with 21 wins over 31 starts. This season has not gone as successfully for the 26-year-old. Snell finished May with a 3.06 ERA, then an 11.64 ERA over four starts in June means he will go into surgery boasting a not-good 4.82 mark.
While the New York Yankees have a 10-game lead in the AL East over the Rays, and the Boston Red Sox are just one game back in third place, the Rays are more importantly just one game outside of the AL Wild Card.
