The Tampa Bay Rays‘ roster will be without starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot when they take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, March 26, to begin the 2026 regular season.
Manager Kevin Cash told reporters, including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, that Pepiot will start the year on the injured list due to right hip inflammation. Right-hander Joe Boyle will step into the rotation spot vacated by Pepiot. Boyle had been optioned to the minors last week, but he’ll instead break camp with the big-league club.
It’s a difficult development for a righty who has been durable in recent years. Pepiot has made 57 starts since joining the Rays in 2024. The 28-year-old made a career-high 31 appearances last season. Pepiot’s 167.2 innings in 2025 were the most he’s thrown as a professional by more than 35 frames.
Tampa Bay Rays Roster Update: Ryan Pepiot Will Open the Season on the Injured List
Pepiot was coming off a solid year as a fixture in Tampa Bay’s rotation. He delivered a 3.86 ERA with a solid 24.6% strikeout rate. The righty paced the club in innings and tied for the team lead with 31 starts. Shane Baz and Drew Rasmussen matched that figure. Pepiot had no issue with the friendly confines of George Steinbrenner Field. He posted a 3.41 ERA with a 26.6% strikeout rate in the Rays’ impromptu home venue.
The Rays acquired Pepiot in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023. Tampa Bay sent back right-hander Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. The club also received outfielder Jonny DeLuca in the deal. Pepiot has provided a respectable 3.75 ERA in his two campaigns with the Rays. He hasn’t matched the production of Glasnow, but he’s been healthier up until this point. Pepiot has also come at a cheaper cost. The right-hander made $3.025 million in his first trip through arbitration. He won’t reach free agency until 2029.
Who Will Take Pepiot’s Spot in the Rotation?
Pepiot was slated to be the No. 2 starter for the Rays. Rasmussen was tabbed to get the ball on Opening Day. Boyle, Steven Matz, Nick Martinez, and Shane McClanahan will follow from there. It’s almost an entirely different group from last season. Baz was a regular in the rotation the past couple of years, but he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for a package of four prospects. Zack Littell and Adrian Houser departed in free agency. Taj Bradley was moved at the trade deadline.
The Rays addressed the pitching staff in multiple ways this offseason. The club went out and signed Matz to a two-year, $15 million deal. The former St. Louis Cardinals swingman will be used as a normal starter. The same goes for Martinez, who had a versatile role with the Cincinnati Reds. The veteran righty inked a one-year, $13 million contract to be a starter in Tampa Bay. The final addition was an internal one. McClanahan will make his long-awaited return after battling multiple injuries. Tommy John surgery, plus a setback, has kept him off a big-league mound for the past two seasons.
Boyle is a wild card. He has an upper-90s fastball, but seldom knows where it’s going. The hard-throwing righty posted a 4.67 ERA in 13 appearances (nine starts) with the Rays last year.
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