Rays pitcher Chris Archer left his rehab start with the Triple-A Durham Bulls Sunday afternoon after just one inning, throwing 31 pitches and allowing three runs on a three-run homer by Kelvin Gutierrez of the Norfolk Tides at Harbor Park.
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the right-hander was lifted due to left hip soreness and was having difficulty finding a comfortable footing on the Harbor Park mound.
#Rays were hoping Archer would throw 5 IP/75 pitches tonight for AAA @DurhamBulls in 5th rehab outing. He was removed from game after 1 IP (31 pitches, 3 runs) due to left hip soreness. Team said couldn’t get his footing on the mound so it was precautionary.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) August 1, 2021
Archer was scheduled to pitch five innings or around 75 pitches.
The 32-year-old has been on the injured list since April 10 with bilateral tightness in his right forearm.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
