Rays Get Concerning News With Ryan Yarbrough COVID Update

Tuesday has been a rollercoaster ride for the Tampa Bay Rays. While they activated outfielder Randy Arozarena from the injured list, they subsequently lost left-handed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough for COVID-19-related reasons.

There's still no word on whether Yarbrough tested positive for the virus or if he was a close contact with someone who did. The silver lining to the situation is that he is one of the Tampa players who received a COVID vaccine, which should help Rays fans find some semblance of optimism.

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The Rays have gone 8-2 over their last 10 contests and, with a 68-44 record, lead the AL East by 4.0 games over the second-place Boston Red Sox. However, Tampa Bay plays their next 13 games in as many nights, so this is a less than ideal time to lose one of their starting pitching options.

Yarbrough has played 22 games (17 starts) so far in the 2021 MLB season, pitching to a 6-4 record with a 4.76 ERA and 1.210 WHIP. His 98 strikeouts rank third on the team and he leads all MLB pitchers with an average of 1.6 walks per 9 innings pitched. He might not be a household name like other starting pitchers, but it's clear that Tampa Bay will miss Yarbrough's presence on the mound for the next little while.

The Rays will have to quickly forget about Yarbrough's COVID-19 placement for the time being as they have the chance to extend their AL East lead as they take on the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. FanDuel Sportsbook is actually favoring Boston at -124 odds while Tampa Bay will enter as the +106 underdog.

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