Rays Apr 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A general view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove during the seventh inning of the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

As the Tampa Bay Rays look to improve and continue their impressive streak, the team that owns the league’s best record (12-0) was delivered a massive blow during Thursday afternoon’s game against the Boston Red Sox.

During the fourth inning, starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs was pulled from the game due to an apparent injury. In the top of the fourth, Justin Turner fouled off a pitch from Springs, who was messing with his pitching hand after releasing the pitch. He then was immediately taken out of the game by his manager, Kevin Cash, and the training staff.

According to Tricia Whitaker, who serves as the Rays’ sideline reporter and host for Bally Sports Florida, Springs left today’s game with left arm ulnar neuritis. The ulnar nerve is thought of as the “funny bone” and Springs’ injury is considered to be inflammation of the ulnar nerve in the arm, which results in numbness or weakness in the hand, which could help explain why he was messing with his pitching hand.

Before being pulled, Springs had allowed just one run over three innings, while striking out five Red Sox batters. That lone allowed run was a Rob Refsnyder first-inning home run. On the season, the 30-year-old Springs has been pretty fantastic, pitching to a 2-0 record with a 0.56 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 16 innings pitched. 

The Rays will reevaluate Springs tomorrow morning. The MLB world reacted to the horrible Rays news on social media:

[Tricia Whitaker, Summit Orthopedics]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.