Margot, Kiermaier to IL as Injuries Pile Up

The injury bug continues to bite the Tampa Bay Rays hard this season as OFs Kevin Kiermaier and Manuel Margot hit the 10-day injured list for the club. Kiermaier is currently suffering from left hip inflammation and breakout contributor Margot has suffered a right knee sprain, with the severity of it still to be determined.

In corresponding moves, the Rays have recalled INF Jonathan Aranda and OF Luke Raley from Triple-A Durham

For Tampa Bay, this is a major blow for a club that seems to have injury news almost daily at this point. Margot has found his stride with the club this season, with a .788 OPS and is one of the few players that was still healthy on the roster hitting at an above average clip.

Although Kiermaier has struggled at the plate in 2022, the Rays' injuries piling up makes any at bats he can provide crucial for the club. As players have landed on the IL, the prospects being called up to fill their spots have not impressed, leaving a huge need for veteran talent to stay healthy or step it up.

Gerrit Cole's gem against the club the other night proved again their huge weakness at the plate.

The good news for the club is guys like Wander Franco and Brandon Lowe may return to the club soon, but for a team that has major hopes of going deep into the post season with an elite pitching staff, the steps back that they continue to take is making that option appear very, very difficult.

If players can begin to return to the roster and produce what was expected of them, the club can recover and still chase after their goals for the year. It is becoming increasingly obvious though that if the Rays want to truly contend their year, they will need to acquire some bats to support their elite pitching. Otherwise, these injuries may just be one more indication of a lost season for Tampa Bay.