Ray (hamstring) will not opt out of the final two years of his contract with the Giants, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Ray missed the first half of the 2024 campaign while recovering from the Tommy John procedure he underwent in May of 2023. Once he returned, he was able to make seven starts for the Giants before a strained left hamstring cut his season short in August. Because of his injury history, he likely wouldn't receive an offer in free agency close to the $50 million he's due to make over the next two years, so his decision to remain in San Francisco on his current deal is hardly a surprise. He'll aim to bounce back in 2025 after turning in a 4.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over 30.2 innings this past season.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Eyeing one more start in 2024
Rotowire
Ray (hamstring) threw another bullpen session Saturday and remains hopeful to return from the 15-day injured list to make one start before the end of the season, MLB.com reports.
Ray faced live hitters in batting practice this past Wednesday, but the session was cut short after 42 pitches when he began experiencing fatigue. The southpaw appears to have avoided a major setback, however, given that he was back on the mound just a few days later. Ray will likely still need to face live hitters on at least one more occasion before the Giants feel comfortable bringing him back from the IL, and he could be on a limited pitch count if he reaches his goal of making one more start for the big club. Landen Roupp should make at least one more turn through the rotation as the Giants' fifth starter until Ray is ready for activation.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Bullpen session on tap
Rotowire
Ray (hamstring) is scheduled to throw 50-to-60 pitches in a bullpen session Wednesday, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The left-hander threw two- and three-inning simulated games Wednesday and Saturday, respectively, and he'll continue building up his workload with a bullpen session. Ray landed on the shelf Aug. 27 due to the hamstring strain, and he appears to be closing in on his return to San Francisco's rotation.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Set for three-inning sim game
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Ray (hamstring) is expected to throw a three-inning simulated game Saturday, MLB.com reports.
Ray already tossed a two-inning sim game Wednesday, so he'll be looking to get stretched out a bit more Saturday. The Giants placed Ray on the 15-day injured list Aug. 27 with a left hamstring strain, but provided he experiences no setbacks while building up, the southpaw should be able to return to the big club in a starting role down the stretch. The club hasn't indicated whether Ray will need to make a minor-league rehab start prior to being activated, but he'll likely require at least another sim game after Saturday before he's ready to handle a starter's workload for the Giants.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Lands on IL with strained hamstring
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The Giants placed Ray on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a left hamstring strain, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Ray suffered the injury during Sunday's start against the Mariners, forcing his exit after three-plus innings. He will be eligible for activation on Sept. 10, but with the severity of the strain not known, it's unclear whether he might have a shot to be back by that date.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Dealing with hamstring injury
Rotowire
Ray (undisclosed) exited Sunday's contest against the Mariners due to left hamstring tightness, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Ray had pitched three frames, allowing one run before he was forced to depart from the contest. The southpaw will look to take advantage of a few days off and return to the mound for his next projected start Saturday versus the Marlins.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Exits early Sunday
Rotowire
Ray (undisclosed) was forced to exit Sunday's contest in the fourth inning with an apparent injury, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Ray pitched three innings, giving up one run on one hit and three walks while striking out four batters prior to leaving the game. The left-hander appeared to have been dealing with some discomfort in his left leg, but more information on his injury will likely be provided in the near future.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Dominates versus White Sox
Rotowire
Ray (3-2) got the win over the White Sox on Tuesday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out nine over 6.2 innings. He did not issue a walk.
Ray turned in arguably his best start since returning from Tommy John surgery. It was his longest outing of the season and also the first time he didn't walk a batter. He also tied his season high with nine strikeouts and retired 12 of the last 14 batters he faced, including two strikeouts in the seventh before he was eventually pulled with two outs. Ray has shown more good than bad since returning from injury, posting a 4.88 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 39:12 K:BB in 27.2 innings. He lines up to face the Brewers on the road to begin next week.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Roughed up early
Rotowire
Ray (2-2) took the loss against Atlanta on Wednesday, allowing five runs on one hit and three walks over two-thirds of an inning while striking out two. He also plunked two batters.
It was a disastrous showing for Ray, who hit the first two batters he faced before eventually surrendering a grand slam to Michael Harris. The lefty also issued three walks before being relieved by Sean Hjelle with two outs in the opening frame. It easily marked the shortest start of the campaign for Ray, while the five runs allowed are also a season high. He's walked three batters in three of his last four outings and has a 6.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 30:12 K:BB through five starts this season.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Decent in no-decision
Rotowire
Ray allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out seven over six innings in a no-decision versus the Tigers on Friday.
Ray delivered his longest outing of the season and earned his first quality start, though it wasn't exactly a dominating performance. He threw 66 of 105 pitches for strikes and avoided giving up a home run for the first time since his season debut July 24. Ray is now at a 3.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 28:9 K:BB over 20.1 innings through four starts. He's projected for a tougher home outing versus Atlanta next week.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Fans nine in win
Rotowire
Ray (2-1) picked up the win Sunday against the Reds, allowing two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out nine in five innings.
Ray bounced back from a shaky start his last time out, fanning nine batters and allowing just three hits to earn his second win in three starts. Ray's two earned runs came on back-to-back home runs by Jeimer Candelario and Santiago Espinal in the second inning, and Ray has now surrendered five home runs over his past two starts. As he shakes off the rust and becomes more consistent, Ray's sky-high 3.14 HR/9 should normalize towards his career mark of 1.39. The southpaw now owns a 4.40 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 21:6 K:BB in 14.1 innings. Ray is currently scheduled to take on the Tigers next weekend.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Hurt by home runs
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Ray (1-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Athletics, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four over 4.1 innings.
Ray was unable to replicate his excellent season debut in what looked like an easier matchup on paper. All four runs he gave up came from homers; Daz Cameron and Lawrence Butler hit solo shots before Brent Rooker ended Ray's night with a two-run blast in the fifth. Ray has had some problems in years past with allowing walks and home runs, though it's difficult to gauge where he is exactly with his command and control through just two starts. One encouraging stat is that his fastball velocity is averaging 94.7 mph, which is higher than his career average. The 32-year-old now owns a 4.82 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 12:5 K:BB in 9.1 innings and will look to bounce back against the Nationals to begin next week.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Impresses in return
Rotowire
Ray (1-0) earned the win over the Dodgers on Wednesday, surrendering one run on two walks over five innings while not allowing any hits. He struck out eight and also hit two batters.
Ray struggled with his command in the first inning, allowing two walks while also hitting two batters with pitches, which led to a run coming home for the Dodgers. However, the veteran lefty came back strong in the second, striking out the side en route to hurling four consecutive 1-2-3 innings. Ray certainly impressed in his first start since undergoing Tommy John Surgery over a year ago, inducing 22 swings and misses on the night. He'll look to carry that momentum into his next outing, which is expected to come at home against Oakland next week.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Activated ahead of start
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The Giants reinstated Ray (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Wednesday ahead of his start versus the Dodgers.
Wednesday will mark Ray's first major-league start since he underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023. He began a rehab assignment June 4 and has since posted a 3.38 ERA and 0.85 WHIP alongside a 45:6 K:BB across 29.1 innings in 10 games (nine starts). The 32-year-old southpaw reached 78 pitches during his latest outing with Triple-A Sacramento, though he could still be held to a pitch/innings restriction as he faces MLB hitters for the first time in nearly 16 months. Randy Rodriguez was optioned to Sacramento, and Keaton Winn (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL in corresponding moves.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Making team debut Wednesday
Rotowire
Ray (elbow) will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Wednesday's game against the Dodgers, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
As expected, Ray has been cleared to return during San Francisco's upcoming series against the Dodgers after completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He may face some limitations during his first big-league start since March 2023, though he tossed 78 pitches and worked into the sixth inning during his final rehab outing Friday for Triple-A Sacramento.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Likely to make 2024 debut in L.A.
Rotowire
Manager Bob Melvin indicated over the weekend that Ray (elbow) could be activated from the 60-day injured list and start for the Giants during the club's four-game road series against the Dodgers that begins Monday, MLB.com reports. "I don't want to get ahead of myself, but there's a good chance he'll be pitching in L.A," Melvin said. "It's a big deal. He's probably not going to go out there and throw 120 pitches his first time out, but he got up a sixth time [in his rehab start Friday]."
Ray completed the 10th and presumably final start of his rehab assignment Friday, throwing 78 pitches over 5.1 scoreless innings for Triple-A Sacramento. The veteran southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery last May but rung up a 45:6 K:BB over 29.1 innings during his rehab stint. After pitching on four days' rest for Sacramento on Friday, Ray is likely to make his Giants debut either Wednesday or Thursday. A road matchup with the division-leading Dodgers isn't the most appealing draw, but his strikeout upside makes him a worthwhile pickup in most fantasy leagues, even if managers aren't keen on including him in active lineups right away.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Making another rehab start
Rotowire
Ray (elbow) will throw five innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Sacramento on Friday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Friday's outing is likely Ray's final rehab start before being reinstated from the injured list. If that's the case, the veteran southpaw could pitch during a four-game road series against the Dodgers early next week. Hayden Birdsong is the most likely candidate to lose their rotation spot once Ray is activated, although the team could opt to use a six-man rotation temporarily considering the Giants have a stretch of 11 games in 10 days coming out of the All-Star break.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Impresses in latest rehab start
Rotowire
Ray (elbow) struck out nine batters and gave up one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings in his rehab start Sunday with Single-A San Jose.
Making his ninth and perhaps final minor-league rehab appearance as he works his way back from May 2023 Tommy John surgery, Ray submitted his lengthiest and best outing yet. He built up to 74 pitches (56 strikes) in the rehab start and now owns a 4.13 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 38:4 K:BB in 24 innings over stops with San Jose, Triple-A Sacramento and the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. With Ray looking fully recovered from elbow surgery from both a workload and performance standpoint, he appears poised to return from the 60-day injured list to make his Giants debut coming out of the All-Star break. If the Giants opt to keep a five-man rotation intact rather than expanding to six, rookie Hayden Birdsong would seem to be most at risk of losing his starting spot once Ray is activated.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Making next rehab start Thursday
Rotowire
Ray (elbow) will make his next rehab start Thursday with Triple-A Sacramento, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.
The left-hander covered 3.2 frames in his previous outing for Sacramento on Friday, and he'll continue building up his workload with the Triple-A affiliate. Ray made four rehab starts in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League and is now scheduled for a third appearance at Triple-A as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery.
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Giants' Robbie Ray: Covers 2.1 innings in rehab outing
Rotowire
Ray (elbow) struck out two and allowed no runs on one hit and one walk over 2.1 innings in his rehab appearance Sunday for Triple-A Sacramento.
Ray was one of three rehabbing Giants pitchers to take the bump for Sacramento on Sunday, with the lefty and Austin Warren (elbow) working behind starter Blake Snell (groin). Before moving up to Sacramento, Ray made four rehab starts in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League, covering seven total innings while striking out 15 and allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks. Though his 2.1-inning appearance Sunday didn't represent a notable uptick in his workload, Ray still finished with 45 pitches (30 strikes) and turned in another clean outing. Ray looks to be building up for a starting role as he gears up for a return from Tommy John surgery, but he'll still likely need to get stretched out to around 75 pitches before the Giants are comfortable bringing him back from the 60-day injured list. Ray likely won't be a rotation option until after the All-Star break.
