Hu was optioned to Triple-A Durham after Tuesday's game against the Rangers.
After starter Matt Andriese left early with a groin injury, Hu came on in the second inning and logged 2.1 scoreless frames while walking two and striking out three. He would have been unavailable out of the bullpen for a couple days after this outing, so it made sense for the Rays to opt for reinforcements. Hu seems to be being developed as a reliever, at least in the short term, even though he has had success in the minors as a starter. Only three of his 12 appearances across Triple-A and the big leagues this season have come as a starter. He has allowed just eight runs (2.63 ERA) while striking out 25 across 27.1 total frames across the two levels.