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Anibal Sanchez's blister has him on the 15-day disabled list and leaves the Detroit Tigers in need of a spot starter on May 6 and May 11.
That job is going to Robbie Ray.
The team announced today the 22-year-old left-hander will make his major league debut next Tuesday against the Houston Astros. Ray is not on 40-man roster, so some personnel shuffling will have to made before Ray is officially called up.
Ray was the centerpiece of Dave Dombrowski's controversial Doug Fister trade, which also brought relief pitcher Ian Krol and infielder Steve Lombardozzi to Detroit. But it was Ray who was targeted by Dombrowski as a young, cost-controlled pitcher whom he believed could step into the Tigers' future starting rotation within the next year or two. Apparently, the future is now.
Having spent 2013 split between high Single-A and Double-A in the Washington Nationals' system, Ray began this season at Triple-A Toledo. The young lefty has made Dombrowski look good with a 3-1 record and 1.59 ERA in five starts.
2014 stats updated through April 28
Robbie Ray
| Ray | G | IP | ERA | WHIP | HR/9 | BB/9 | K/9 | K/BB |
Level |
| 2013 minors | 27 | 142.0 | 3.11 | 1.25 | 0.8 | 1.59 |
6.67 |
2.58 | A+, AA |
| Career minors | 74 | 361.0 | 4.14 | 1.34 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 9.0 | 2.33 | --- |
| 2014 minors | 5 |
28.1 | 1.59 | 1.13 | 0.32 | 1.9 | 6.2 | 4.20 | AAA |
Career minor league stats are through 2013 season
There's no timetable as of yet for Sanchez's return, but he is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 12.