The Tampa Bay Rays announced Saturday they are relocating left-handed hurler Steven Matz from their starting rotation to relief duties after recent poor performances.
Matz’s earned run average has ballooned to 5.48 following a pair of difficult appearances, most recently in Tuesday’s 8-0 defeat against the Detroit Tigers where he surrendered five runs and six hits, including a pair of home runs, across just 1 2/3 innings of work.
In his prior start on May 27, he yielded six runs on seven hits during three innings of work in an 11-2 defeat to the Baltimore Orioles on their home field.
“Got to try to work myself out of this rut and move forward,” Matz stated following the Detroit game, where he was removed after throwing 53 pitches by Rays skipper Kevin Cash, who explained the decision was made because Matz’s fastball velocity had dropped from his season average of 93.3 mph down to 92 mph.
Matz, who celebrated his 35th birthday on May 29, came back to action May 20 following time on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation.
Before his placement on the IL, Matz had delivered one of his finest performances of the year, surrendering just one run on four hits across six innings against the San Francisco Giants.
He currently holds a 4-3 record with 37 strikeouts through 10 starts in his inaugural campaign with Tampa Bay.
Across 12 seasons in the majors, Matz carries a 64-65 record with a 4.25 ERA through 256 appearances (182 as a starter) with the New York Mets (2015-20), Toronto Blue Jays (2021), St. Louis Cardinals (2022-25), Boston Red Sox (2025) and Rays.
Cash has yet to announce who will take Matz’s spot in the starting rotation for the Rays, who began Saturday’s games with a 37-23 record and hold first place in the American League East, maintaining a 1 1/2 game lead over the New York Yankees.
